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Opinion: Cyborg a Missed Opportunity for the UFC
- Updated: September 26, 2016
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.* * * It would be easy to say something pseudo-clever like “death, taxes and Cyborg by TKO,” but after Cristiane Justino’s 12th straight bout ended before the final bell, it seems like dodging taxes and cheating death might be easier than surviving a title fight with the best female fighter on the planet. “Cyborg” violence has become an inevitability: Her knockout streak is coming up on eight years, and in her 17 career wins, she has only needed the judges to notarize the outcome twice.Of course, none of this is new. We’ve been saying more or less the same things about Justino since she was competing in Strikeforce. Regardless of what you can say about her competition or lack thereof — we’ll get to that in a minute — Cyborg is a supreme talent in the sport, and one in which the Ultimate Fighting Championship would be wise to invest moving forward. As is starting to become customary with her UFC fights, Cyborg’s most dangerous opponent lately has been the scale, but it doesn’t need to be. The UFC is unnecessarily imposing a catchweight on her in what amounts to a contract of adhesion. For reference, think of the various terms and conditions you agree to when you get a new phone or iPad; you don’t have to accept the terms, but then you don’t get the iPad. Cyborg could put her foot down on this issue and demand to fight at 145 pounds, but it runs the risk that she won’t fight in the UFC, which would be an absolute shame. Despite the fact that Phil Brooks is technically on the roster, the UFC is supposed to be the home for the best, a distinction that unequivocally belongs to Cyborg. The UFC has been savvy about holding on to fighters purely to keep them from signing with a competitor, but since Cyborg fights primarily for Invicta Fighting Championships, a UFC partner, it doesn’t have to worry about her jumping ship. Besides, it appears that she genuinely wants to fight for the UFC. Its brand is a form of soft power, and those who run the company flex it to make Cyborg sing and dance for them. This isn’t just needless and stupid; it’s shockingly myopic. Brazilian MMA has been in the doldrums lately. There are very few big Brazilian names in the UFC, and only one and a half titles call Brazil home. This is not an insult to Jose Aldo or Amanda Nunes, who are both exceptional fighters. However, Nunes is the latest housesitter of the most mercurial championship in the promotion, and it is yet to be seen how long she’ll be able to hold onto it. As for Aldo, he’s in need of some image repair. Despite being one of the greatest to ever do this at any weight, he finds himself in a strange spot where the undisputed champion embarrassed him and has since been gallivanted around at other weight …
