With UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche right around the corner, the new women’s division in the UFC is on everyone’s mind. Late last year, UFC President Dana White said he would make a fight between Ronda Rousey and Cris Santos a reality but it would take some time. All of that fell apart when her manager Tito Ortiz asked for her release from the promotion citing her issues with making weight.
White discussed the whole process with the media after the UFC on Fuel TV 7: Barao vs. McDonald press conference.
In a video released by Fighters Only White said:
“So we were going to sign her to a contract and we were going to have her fight in Invicta, which means we pay all the bills for her to fight in Invicta. It would be under a UFC contract with all the perks and benefits of being a UFC fighter and would fight in Invicta. So instead of doing that they chose to not do that and fight in Invicta. If you can make logic out of that whole f**king situation, you’re a better man than I am.”
“We don’t have a 145 pound division so we’re going back and forth with these guys and this deal, so I called the girl Shannon Knapp who owns Invicta and said look if I do this deal with Cyborg and you give her fights over there, I’ll pay the bills you put on the fights over there till I can figure out how this whole thing’s going to go down. She goes absolutely no problem, we’d love to do it…. The next thing I know they want out of the contract and then they sign with them.”
When the dust cleared, the UFC isn’t on the hook for Cyborg’s fight purses, and if they wanted to sign her to a contract in the future they are welcome to do so. White concluded by smirking and saying, “Thanks Tito.”
PHOTO CREDIT: STRIKEFORCE
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If all RR wants is to teach Cyborg a lesson the 5 pounds Cris was asking for should not have mattered. Anyone who has ever seen Cyborg fight knows she has problems making 145 pounds. If Ronda wanted her so bad, let her come up to 140 – Cris was willing to meet her there and have it be a non-title fight. Ronda is the one who said “no” – so who is really running?
Maybe Ortiz felt like Santos would have more negotiating power if she won a few fights without being signed to the UFC than if she fought for Invicta under a UFC deal?
you could be right, but the UFC still doesnt have that division, and they arent committing to it any time soon. Solid WMMA’ 145ers arent as common as ppl think
I have a bad feeling Cyborg threw her career away when she signed with Tito.
Me too… I just don’t think he knows what he is doing.