Tonight at 6 p.m. PT Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (14-1) will defend her Invicta FC featherweight title against Daria Ibragimova (9-1) in a battle between two women who do not go the distance very often. Live stream the event free online by clicking this link.
This fight is a major one for Justino, who could be in line for major opportunities with UFC if she dominates again. Justino has long been rumored as an opponent for Ronda Rousey, but she may also generate interest in a fight vs. new UFC women’s bantamweight Holly Holm, or potentially Miesha Tate, who fights for the UFC gold in March at UFC 197.
Cyborg Might Be Prepping For Move To UFC
Cyborg has already begun soft-pedaling her remarks about Rousey of late, someone whom she’d previously had no problem getting into wars of words with.
“I can’t say anything bad about her. She’s been good for women’s MMA. She opened a lot of doors. I know I [fought] before her, but she had opportunities and she’s handled it and helped everybody,” Cyborg said.
There’s a good chance she’s playing nice. Cyborg has won four straight fights by way of TKO, and she hasn’t lost since May 2005. That’s attractive to UFC president Dana White, who could lose Rousey in the near future the way WWE once lost Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Life as an actress is way less taxing on Rouey’s body, and not fighting means she keeps her looks.
If that’s the case, White will need a new star, and Cyborg, despite past steroid use, could be the kind of polarizing figure Rousey has been for the lest two months.
Cyborg can’t take Ibragimov lightly. While the Russian isn’t known for her striking, she is dominant on the mat, submitting a healthy 78 percent of her opponents.
Prediction: Cyborg wins by TKO (Round 2)
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