The day has finally come. After fighters and media (like myself) long-calling for the UFC to introduce a women’s featherweight division, it was announced today on ESPN that they are going to do just that. And they’ve got the fight to crown it’s first champion all set. But there’s a catch – the fighter on whose behalf we all were championing a 145-pound division for isn’t involved in its first title fight.
Holly Holm vs Germaine de Randamie will headline UFC 208 in Brooklyn on February 11th, with Holm looking to become the UFC’s first two-division women’s champion. The cyborg in the room, of course, is Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino, the greatest 145-pound female fighter of all-time (and, arguably, the best woman MMA fighter of all-time, regardless of weight class). Justino recently stated that she physically and mentally couldn’t handle the weight cut to 145-pounds for the next few months, but would be good to go in March.
The fact that the UFC decided to set up a title fight a few weeks before Justino would be ready to go probably isn’t a coincidence. Cyborg and the UFC have had a rocky relationship (99% of it being their fault), and she hints at that when commenting on this latest development with MMA Fighting.
“Everybody knows I’m the featherweight champion,” Cyborg told the respected site. “I’m undefeated for 10 years in my division. They put this belt only to sell the fight for the new MMA fans. For an example, Holly is coming off two consecutive losses and will fight for the belt. The real fight fans know what’s real.”
“The last fight in the men’s 145-pound division, a 10-0 fighter fought a guy who was 1-5 in his last fights,” she continued. “Other fighters like me have to wait for a title fight. I’m fighting for my division for 10 years, and until yesterday Dana said there were no women. This is our reality.”
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