Cyborg (photo) is the current Invicta FC featherweight champion. Photo: Disclosure. Photo: Esther Lin / STRIKEFORCE
The most anticipated fight in the history of women's MMA is getting closer and closer to getting off the ground. If the category difference between rivals Ronda Rousey e Chris Cyborg was seen as the major obstacle to the duel, this issue is about to be overcome. The guarantor is Shannon Knapp, president of Invicta FC, an event in which the Brazilian is the current featherweight champion. According to Shannon, everything is ready for Cyborg to move down to the bantamweight category in December, with an eye on a future meeting with Ronda.
“Tudo parece estar acertado. Ela está pronta, ela quer lutar com a Ronda. Cyborg está trabalhando muito duro para conseguir a luta. Acho que ela está muito focada em chegar onde ela precisa para conseguir esse confronto”, assegurou Shannon ao site “Sherdog”. Recentemente, a dirigente assinou uma parceria com o UFC na qual cedeu diversas lutadoras para a nova categoria peso palha e acertou a exibição dos eventos do Invicta na plataforma online “UFC Fight Pass".
Furthermore, Knapp took the opportunity to praise Cyborg and place her on the list of the greatest MMA athletes, regardless of category or gender. “As she (Cyborg) begins this severe weight cut, we want to document that. We want to take fans along on this journey with her and let them see it. She is a tremendous athlete. A lot of people have negative things to say, they say unfounded things about her muscle mass and things like that. She's one of the hardest working athletes, and I'm not just saying among women, I'm saying she's one of the hardest working athletes I've ever had the opportunity to witness.”
At 29 years old, Cristiane Justino, the “Chris Cyborg”, has a record of 12 victories, one unsuccessful fight and one defeat, suffered in his first fight as a professional. Former featherweight champion of the now-defunct Strikeforce, Cyborg arrived at Invicta FC in 2013 and won the under-66 division belt also in the exclusively women's event, with a victory over the Dutch Marloes Coenen.
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