Ronda Rousey - Cris "Cyborg" Justino Timeline: Trash Talk, Weight Issues, Suspensions, Challenges

By Sean Ross Sapp

It seems there has been a lot of misinformation as it pertains to the potential Cris Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey superfight, and the circumstances surrounding the suggested weight. I thought compiling all of the news throughout the past several years and applying it to a comprehensive timeline could help straighten things out.

Summer 2008- Ronda Rousey competes in the Olympics as a judoka at 154.3 pounds. Rousey said during a UFC documentary that she competed at that weight due to eating disorder issues, and competed up in weight to not worry about a relapse.

June 17, 2011- Ronda Rousey competes in her second pro fight, defeating Charmaine Tweet via armbar in 49 seconds at HKFC – School of Hard Knocks 12. The bout was contested at 150 pounds. Cris Cyborg would also defeat a 38-year old Tweet in 46 seconds in February 2015. The fight was contested at 145 pounds

November 18, 2011- Ronda Rousey, competing at 145 pounds, defeats Julia Budd at Strikeforce Challengers 20. She announces her intent to move to 135-pounds, citing a deeper talent pool, and a championship fight with Miesha Tate.

December 17, 2011- Cris Cyborg defeats Hiroko Yamanaka easily in 16 seconds at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal. Cyborg asks for a bout with Rousey, but was told by matchmaker Sean Shelby that she wasn't ready at the time. Rousey, who had been a pro fighter for about eight months, has all but confirmed the story.

December 22, 2011- Rousey addresses a potential fight with Cyborg on The Joe Rogan Experience, noting she'd rather wait and fight Cyborg when she's more experienced.

"She's going to want to fight me as soon as possible and I'm going to want to fight her as late as possible and we're just going to have to find somewhere in the middle," Rousey said.

January 6, 2012- It was announced that Cyborg tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. The result of the fight was changed to a no-contest, Cyborg was suspended for one year, and fined $2,500. Cyborg wouldn't fight for a year and a half, and the Strikeforce 145-pound women's division was essentially dissolved. Dave Meltzer of WON noted that there were plans to dissolve the division prior to the suspension regardless. Prior to her appeal, which was denied, Cyborg says that someone in her camp gave her the substance, which she didn't know was a steroid.

March 3, 2012- Ronda Rousey debuts at 135 pounds, defeating Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate for the title at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.

November 11, 2012- UFC President Dana White confirms that Ronda Rousey signed with the UFC. The company adopted a women's bantamweight division at 135 pounds.

January 26, 2013- Famed nutritionist Mike Dolce claims he could have Cris Cyborg at 135 pounds in 48 hours for a fight with Ronda Rousey.

February 9, 2013- Cris Cyborg asks for her UFC release after the company tries to book her against Ronda Rousey in a 135 pound fight, per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer. Apparently the disagreement was over a difference in earnings between the two, and not over the weight class. UFC offers to continue paying her contract while she fights for Invicta FC, but Cyborg declines. Tito Ortiz says Cyborg is only willing to fight at 140 pounds, because 135 pounds would affect her ability to have children in the future. At a press conference Tito Ortiz says a doctor confirmed Cris Cyborg would die trying to make a cut to 135 pounds.

February 15, 2013- Dana White says any potential Rousey/Cyborg fight would be at 135, and says Cyborg's claims that she'll die if the tried to make 135 is "the goofiest thing I have ever heard. I have never seen anything like it in the fight business."

February 21, 2014- Cris Cyborg says on an episode of Inside MMA she'll try to go to 135 pounds in the summer, face Rousey in December.

"I'm currently training to fight at 145 on March 28 and in early May. My team has hired a medical doctor to help me make 135. I plan to challenge and win the Invicta 135 Championship in the summer and challenge you, champion to champion, for your 135 belt in December."

February 23, 2014- UFC President Dana White expresses hesitation to sign Cyborg after the comments that she'd die trying to make 135 pounds. After Ronda Rousey's quick TKO over Sara McMann at UFC 170, White offered his feelings.

"It's not that I'm against Cyborg," White said. "It's that she's been put in this box. Tito built this box and stuffed her in there and really hurt her bad. 'If she goes to 135 pounds, she will die.' A doctor said it. A doctor said it, a doctor did that. Who wants to have her fight first at 135? Not me."

After the bout, Cris Cyborg says she wants to fight Rousey in December 2014, but didn't specify a weight.

March 14, 2014- Ronda Rousey says she'd compete against Gina Carano at a catchweight, saying "There are exceptions that I would make for Gina that I wouldn't make for anyone else." The statement draws criticism from Cris Cyborg fans. Rousey says months later that Carano is insisting that the bout take place at 135 pounds.

March 28, 2014- Cris Cyborg loses a muay thai fight against Jorina Baars at Lion Fight 14 via unanimous decision. The bout was contested at 145 pounds.

September 4, 2014- Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp says Cris Cyborg is "on schedule" to make 135 pounds, but doesn't offer any specifics. The cut to 135 pounds doesn't end up happening.

December 16, 2014- Cris Cyborg tells AXS TV that she's "tried 135" but an ankle injury prevented it. She states that she wants the fight at 140 pounds. She tells Tatame, "From now on, I will only fight at my weight or at a catchweight. I realized I'm the only one making an effort for this fight to happen. I believe both should make an effort."

February 25, 2015- Ronda Rousey again reiterates that she wants the fight at 135 pounds, not budging on her stance. She says, "Stop taking f*cking steroids and make the weight." This is a statement Rousey would echo for several months.

March 1, 2015- Cris Cyborg posts a photo of her weighing 175 pounds just days after her win over Charmaine Tweet at 145 pounds. This leads many to believe Cyborg has been actively gaining weight since her February 2014 announcement that she'd drop to 135 pounds.

March 13, 2015- Mike Dolce, who previously stated that he could get Cyborg to 135 pounds in 48 hours, says that she was around 165 pounds when he met with her two years prior. Dolce criticized Cyborg for adding body mass while claiming to make a cut to 135 pounds. Dolce previously aided Quinton Jackson in cutting 60 pounds in 8 weeks.

March 20-30 2015- Rousey and former pro boxer Laila Ali have a brief war of words, and Rousey openly discusses her willingness to fight the much larger Ali. Cris Cyborg comments on the matter, saying Rousey is afraid to face face her despite not being near Ali's size.

March 25, 2015- News emerges that Cris Cyborg and the UFC had reached an agreement, and she'd signed with the company. The UFC would now pay her Invicta salary, and she would eventually have to make 135 pounds and compete in Invicta to prove she could safely make the weight.

March 27, 2015- UFC President Dana White says in an interview on Toronto TV that Cris Cyborg's next fight will be at 135 pounds. It ends up being at 145 pounds.

May 1, 2015- Cyborg appears on UFC Tonight and claims she could make 135 pounds, but wants a fight with Ronda Rousey at 140 pounds.

July 10, 2015- Cris Cyborg defeats Faith Van Duin, who moves to 5-2 after the fight. Cyborg originally planned on fighting at 135 pounds for the event, Invicta FC but plans were changed shortly after the agreement. After the fight, she's asked about a move to 135 pounds and says "I dunno." President Shannon Knapp says Cyborg will work alongside nutritionist George Lockhart to make 135 pounds. Leading into this event, Arlene Blencrowe (6-4), Megan Anderson (4-1), Gabrielle Holloway (4-3) are all ranked top 10 in Cris Cyborg's division, according to MMA Rising.

August 2, 2015- Dana White says, "That fight is ready to roll whenever Cyborg is ready," in regards to a Rousey-Cyborg bout. He remains steadfast that she would need to drop to 135 pounds. Ronda Rousey also says the fight would need to be at 135 pounds, saying, "She can fight at 145 pumped full of steroids and she can make weight just like everybody else without them."

August, 4, 2015- Amid accusations regarding current PED use, Invicta President Shannon Knapp posted a comment on a Facebook discussion group saying:

"Cris Cyborg has been randomly tested for drugs of abuse for all of her fights since the failed drug test in 2011. I know for a fact, she has been randomly tested via blood samples by the California and Nevada athletic commissions on several occasions, with less than 24 hour notice. Cris has only competed in the states of Nevada and California since mid-2013. Both California, the state she tested positive in, and Nevada have taken the necessary steps to ensure she has been competing clean via their random testing policies. We all know that Nevada and California are at the forefront of drug testing and have the most stringent drug testing policies out of any other states. In states that do not require/request drug testing, Invicta takes the initiative to hire a lab to do testing to ensure fair competition. Cris Cyborg is a UFC signed athlete and is under the same drug testing policies as all UFC athletes"

August 7, 2015- Tito Ortiz appears on Inside MMA and claims that Cris Cyborg said that the UFC offered her a fight with Ronda Rousey at AT&T Stadium at 135 pounds. Cyborg backs up this claim. The next day, Dana White denies this.

"We said to her: 'What's going on? Are we going to do this?'" White said. "She was never offered a fight with Ronda anywhere. She has to make the weight, and then fight, and then we know she can do it and we do the fight with Ronda."

David Bixenspan contributed to this article.

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