With the UFC only interested in doing women’s bouts at bantamweight, former Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has asked to be released from the UFC.
Her manager, Tito Ortiz announced this on Friday night’s edition of “Inside MMA” on AXS TV. Ortiz knows that the fans want to see the fight, but it’s a fight that he wants to see happen at a catchweight of 140 pounds.
He told the weekly MMA news show that the UFC did make a contract offer to the former Strikeforce champion, but they wanted to have her fight in Invicta.
“UFC wanted to sign a huge contract with Cris Cyborg and wanted to stick her over in Invicta,” Ortiz said. “It didn’t make any sense to me. I have gone to Cyborg time and time again and ask and ask her and see says I would love to do a three fight deal, fourth fight would be against Ronda. Let’s get it done at 140. Not be a fight for 135 pound championship. Do it at 140.”
The UFC recently said that they would pay nutritionist Mike Dolce to work with Cyborg, which Dolce believes he would be able to get her down to the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds. However, Ortiz says it’s impossible for his client to get down to 135 pounds.
“For her to get down to 135 pounds is physically impossible for a woman. For a man it’s different because we have a lot more water weight to take off. For Cris Cyborg to get down to that weight she’s gotta be three to four percent body fat and I’ve talked to her. She says she wants to start a family later on, she wants to have kids, and that’s what family is what it’s truly about.”
Since they can not agree to a contract with the UFC, Cyborg wants to be released from the UFC so see can explore other options.
“Right now we’re waiting for the UFC to release her. We’ve asked for the UFC to release her. I talked to Dana yesterday. They gave an offer, I went to Cyborg, she said she didn’t want to do it. We just asked for her release. If they’re not having a 145 pound weight class, what else can she do? So as of now she’s going to be released and maybe we’ll go look somewhere else and you will see Cyborg crush other women’s faces.”