In a recent interview, Tito Ortiz claimed that Cris Cyborg would have beaten former MMA champ Ronda Rousey too, but Holly Holm went first.
Ortiz, who is a Cyborg’s former manager and has been in her camp for a long time, says that he believes Cyborg can pull off the same thing as what pro-boxing champ Holly Holm did if Cyborg was just given a chance.
“Cris Cyborg is the pound-for-pound best woman in the world, I believe. Holly Holm did what Cris would have done to Ronda. Holly Holm got that chance. She’s a great woman champion. But Cris is one of the most vicious fighters in the world,” Ortiz said after Invicta FC 15 last Jan. 16.
Back in November, Holm was able to beat Rousey by a head-kick knockout in the second round of UFC 193. A bout between Cyborg and Rousey has been looked forward by everyone and was even tagged as the biggest event in the history of women’s MMA. Cyborg is currently fighting for Invicta, but she is under Zuffa by contract. Zuffa is the UFC’s parent company. The management said that Cyborg would be able to fight Rousey if she can make it to the 135-pound target weight.
Now Rousey is not the reigning bantamweight champion anymore, Cyborg’s future has been uncertain. The Invicta featherweight champ won over Daria Ibragimova by knock-out last Invicta 15, and has won over all her contenders for years. She has not been to decision since 2008, and has won over every fight for over a decade.
“She just attacks. There’s no woman fighter in the world like her at all. She’s bred to fight. She comes from Brazil and Brazilians are the toughest fighters in the world. She loves this. This is fun for her,” Ortiz said.
Some would say that Cyborg is the best dominant MMA fighter in the entire industry. However, determining who would fight next is the big question for her. Shannon Knapp, the president of Invicta revealed, however, that she is looking into getting Cyborg a contender that is qualified for him. Knapp said that she is looking into a superfight between Cyborg and Tonya Evinger, who is the Invicta bantamweight champ. Ortiz said that Cyborg just needs to get patient and prepare for any fight.
“Just keep giving her fights as the UFC did with Ronda. Ronda just kept getting fights, getting fights. The other girls huff and puff and scream and yell. Those are the ones that are the weakest, but they look good for pay-per-view, they look good for interviews. When it’s fight time, Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg are at the top of the world. The rest of the women are looking up at them,” Ortiz added.