UFC Can Easily 'Incentivize' Cyborg to Make 135 lbs.

[58miles]

Did you hear the George Lockhart interview on The MMA Hour Today (around 55 minute mark)? Very informative IMO.

There is alot of misinformation out there and/or information, and the opinion, coming from only one side: the side of Ronda's interest. I don't know about you guys, but I would be furious if a public debate was taking place in which the whole public was hearing/choosing to hear only one side of the story and shutting out my side, simply because I was not as popular and monetarily successful.

Take it for what one will but the other side is:

*Ronda and Cyborg scheduled to fight at 145. Ronda decides it is a bad career decision and moves to 135 in hopes that Cyborg cannot/will not make the weight cut.

*Ronda wants to stay champion for a while, increase toolbox and let Cyborg age so that she has a better chance.

*UFC talks of catchweight at 140, Cyborg accepts, Ronda does not feel ready.

*UFC is adamant that if the fight is to take place, it will be at 135.

*UFC offers Cyborg the 135 fight after Ronda beat Bethe. Cyborg consults George Lockhart this past week, asking if she can realistically and healthily make 135, he says "yes". Cyborg and management say they are willing to take the bout but the UFC has not checked with Ronda.

*Ronda declines fighting Cyborg at 135 in December 2015, although she recently said in the media that she would fight Cyborg, only stipulation being the fight is at 135.

*Cyborg goes to the media saying they were offered the fight and accepted. UFC denies the whole story so that it does not make Ronda look duplicitous and cowardly for saying should would fight Cyborg anytime so long as it takes place @ 35.

So, at this point, it appears Cyborg making 135 is a non issue at this point. Rather, it is a concern she has had and subsequently the one exploited by Ronda, hoping it would deflect blame from the real reason: Ronda simply does not want to fight Cyborg at any weight at this juncture.

Additionally, I believe fans are far too optimistic about this fight happening, as the UFC can't strong arm Ronda the way they would other fighters that refuse to fight certain opponents. Simply put, she is the whole women's division, the UFC's second most lucrative star ever, a social icon and if she refuses, the fight won't happen and UFC will have her back and try their best to make her look good. When ever you go thru combat sport history and one participant flaltly does not want to fight the other, it usually never happens, and with good reason. GSP didn't want to fight AS, Tyson didn't want to fight Bowe, etc....heck, it took Mayweather a decade and 300 million to get Mayweather to accept Pacman and rather than score another 300mil in a rematch, he chooses to fight a woefully overmatched Berto for a fraction of what he could make.

I, for one, do not want to see any fighter fight an opponent who they, for whatever reason, just do not want to fight. Fighting should be mutually participatory, enjoyable to those who partake and not an endeavor filled with horror and dread. It is a bad thing for the sport that this fight won't happen but a good thing for humanity. Props to Ronda for standing her ground, even if she tried to obscure the reasons for her doing so.

The only reason Ronda ever wanted a 140lb catchweight was she felt that Cyborg would be a dried up husk at that weight. When Cyborg gladly took her up on her offer Ronda decided on 135 because she was absolutely convinced she could never make it or even if she did Cyborg would look like a concentration camp survivor.

Btw when a mma nutritionist says realistically and safely make a weightclass what they are really saying is that the fighter won't suffer massive kidney failure at the weigh ins. What 135 means for Cyborg is that she will come into the fight severely weakened, much slower and with cardio problems.

At this point Cyborg should come out and say what happened, label Rousey a coward and call the fight off once and for all, then move on with the rest of her career at 145.

 

[BROKENSPROKET]

It doesn't matter what Cyborg's nutritionist says.

We all know that she wants (and NEEDS) a strength advantage to have any hope of winning. Thus if she loses too much strength during the weight cut we all know that she'll purposely come in overweight.

But if the fight does get agreed to (likely for next April at the earliest) the UFC should insert clauses into her contract that punish her severely for missing weight, cuz the athletic commission can't penalize PPV bonuses (only salary).

For instance, they could include a clause in her contract that makes her entire PPV bonus dependent on making weight. Thus if she misses weight (and can't fight for the "title" at 135 lbs) then she'll be ineligible for any PPV points in a catchweight fight with Ronda.

In addition, they could include a clause stating that if she misses weight then she'll be contractually bound to fight for the UFC for the next 8 fights with only a moderate guaranteed salary per fight and no PPV bonuses at all.

If she missed weight, her only choices would be to fight for the UFC without PPV bonuses (or) sit on the sidelines and retire.

If she signed such a contract then it would be legally binding and the athletic commission couldn't veto it, cuz they don't deal with PPV points or how many fights are on a fighter's contract (they only deal with guaranteed salaries).

I personally believe that -- without stiff PPV and contractual penalties -- she'll purposely come in 5 lbs.+ overweight thinking that Ronda will be under pressure to still fight cuz of all the pre-fight media build up.

She is already under contract.

Do you really think that they have not already thought of that and covered that in the contract?

 

[mma2013]

fuck it, i wouldn't spend another minute dealing with cyborg, tito, or her manager if i was uncle dana. the best thing to do is to ignore her silly ass until she either wants to fight ronda at 135 lbs and make more money than she'll ever make in her career or she can continue fighting at invicta.

cyborg and her crew are playing too many games and i wouldn't waste my time with her if i was uncle dana.

 

[jamiehunter]

It doesn't matter what Cyborg's nutritionist says.

We all know that she wants (and NEEDS) a strength advantage to have any hope of winning. Thus if she loses too much strength during the weight cut we all know that she'll purposely come in overweight.

But if the fight does get agreed to (likely for next April at the earliest) the UFC should insert clauses into her contract that punish her severely for missing weight, cuz the athletic commission can't penalize PPV bonuses (only salary).

For instance, they could include a clause in her contract that makes her entire PPV bonus dependent on making weight. Thus if she misses weight (and can't fight for the "title" at 135 lbs) then she'll be ineligible for any PPV points in a catchweight fight with Ronda.

In addition, they could include a clause stating that if she misses weight then she'll be contractually bound to fight for the UFC for the next 8 fights with only a moderate guaranteed salary per fight and no PPV bonuses at all.

If she missed weight, her only choices would be to fight for the UFC without PPV bonuses (or) sit on the sidelines and retire.

If she signed such a contract then it would be legally binding and the athletic commission couldn't veto it, cuz they don't deal with PPV points or how many fights are on a fighter's contract (they only deal with guaranteed salaries).

I personally believe that -- without stiff PPV and contractual penalties -- she'll purposely come in 5 lbs.+ overweight thinking that Ronda will be under pressure to still fight cuz of all the pre-fight media build up.

Keep her in a contract if she can't make weight? Absolutely not. Cut her lose.

 

[Dr blasto]

Look, Cyborg needs to make 135 cleanly or just fade into the nothingness of her 145 career. Like it or not, Ronda is where the money is and nobody really cares about a fighter who failed a PED test.

Cyborg needs Ronda. Ronda doesn't need Cyborg.

 

[FrodoFraggins]

I pretty much assumed that every contract the UFC has offered her or will offer her has penalty clauses (severe ones) for missing weight.

UFC is taking a big gamble with her. It would be irresponsible to simply assume / hope she shows up at 135 when it counts.

There's less risk if they make her fight once at 135 in Invicta to prove she can do it.

 

[Dr blasto]

There's less risk if they make her fight once at 135 in Invicta to prove she can do it.

They could and probably should have her fight Tate at 135 in the UFC first.

 

[TriangleChoc]

The UFC will offer Cyborg the same as what they offer every other fighter:

As much Reebok swag as she can wear, and no more.

 

[Ashenthorn]

*UFC is adamant that if the fight is to take place, it will be at 135.

*UFC offers Cyborg the 135 fight after Ronda beat Bethe. Cyborg consults George Lockhart this past week, asking if she can realistically and healthily make 135, he says "yes". Cyborg and management say they are willing to take the bout but the UFC has not checked with Ronda.

*Ronda declines fighting Cyborg at 135 in December 2015, although she recently said in the media that she would fight Cyborg, only stipulation being the fight is at 135.

So George says the UFC offers Cyborg a title fight vs Ronda in December without having "checked with Ronda"? I would like some of what George is smoking.

 

[mma_genius]

I don't see how she makes 135. Edgar has to cut some to get to 145. She is just too big.