The Bottom Line: More Questions than Answers on Cyborg’s UFC Future

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and Cristiane Justino circled each other for years, unable to figure out how to deal with one another. Fighting in the UFC against Ronda Rousey was the obvious goal for “Cyborg.” However, she did think she could make 135 pounds, and there were also issues involving money. On the UFC’s end, there was obvious marketability to “Cyborg” but little desire to create a 145-pound division and skepticism about whether Justino would move the needle as much as her management thought she would. The decision to give “Cyborg” a UFC contract while having her continue to fight in Invicta Fighting Championships essentially allowed both sides to defer on any long-term decision. Yet, a year later, the UFC decided to bring “Cyborg” to its main roster. At UFC 198 on Saturday in Curitiba, Brazil, she capitalized on the opportunity. “Cyborg” looked her usual dominant self in a quick victory over Leslie Smith and the audience reacted to her like a major star. So is it all smooth sailing from here, with “Cyborg” finally finding her home in the UFC? Not so fast. By bringing up “Cyborg” without resolving the fundamental issues that still remain, the UFC has created a tricky predicament for itself and for “Cyborg.” If anything, it may be more difficult for the two sides to come together on a long-term plan. Justino’s performance at UFC 198 enhanced her leverage to call for big fights in the UFC and to lobby for them to be at a catchweight. While she fought in Invicta, she was under the radar for all but the most ardent MMA fans. Fighting in front of 45,000 fans and at a major pay-per-view event is a completely different situation. Justino’s UFC debut was treated as a major story by plenty of mainstream outlets, and “Cyborg” adroitly followed that up by lobbying for the Rousey fight in the media. The UFC gave her that platform, and she made the most of it. Many …

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