After Ronda Rousey defended her UFC women's bantamweight title in a mere 16 seconds against an overmatched Alexis Davis at UFC 175, questions about who can even dream about challenging her cropped up. Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino, the controversial star of Invicta, is a popular name that comes up but Holly Holm is the likelier choice.
Does Rousey need "Cyborg" to remain relevant?
Lenny Fresquez, Holm's manager, told MMAJunkie.com that his primary focus these days is getting his fighter to the UFC and in the octagon with "Rowdy" Rousey. "This is a superfight," Fresquez said. "This is the biggest women's fight in the history of any type of women's [combat] sports. It's a lot of money involved in this payday. I just want to make sure Holly gets her share."
According to reports, there's a financial separation that needs to be closed, but Fresquez characterized recent negotiations with UFC executives as "positive."
Justino willing to move down in weight for Rousey matchup
"Offers went back and forth," Fresquez said. "We already had guidelines of what we were going to agree on and what we weren't going to agree on. We're still a little ways (apart) and there's still a couple of items. We're very excited about getting Holly into the UFC. It's just my job to put Holly in the right hands."
UFC president Dana White seemed unconcerned about Rousey's dominance working against her after the quick victory, saying after the event concluded "Anybody on any given day can beat anybody if they're on the top of their game. ... You never know what can happen when two people start throwing punches and putting their hands on each other."
Holm has a 7-0 record in mixed martial arts, with most of those fights coming with Legacy Fighting Championship. Six of those seven victories have come by way of knockout; in addition to the exciting nature of her finishes, Fresquez pointed out the difficulty both Justino and MMA legend Gina Carano would have making weight.
"I asked them, 'Who's Ronda going to fight?' They said, 'She could fight 'Cyborg' or fight Gina Carano.' Those were the couple of other options that they were looking at. But I also know 'Cyborg' can't make 135 pounds, and Gina can't make 135 pounds, so I know those fights can't be made for the UFC title."
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