There’s Still Money in the UFC-Cyborg Relationship

“I think that fight does 2.5 million buys. I think that fight is massive.”

UFC President Dana White’s words seldom lack hyperbole, and while his statement to Fox Sports 1 in the afterglow of Ronda Rousey’s quick knockout of Bethe Correia may have been a bit exaggerated, the sentiment was undeniable: Ronda Rousey vs. Cris “Cyborg” Justino could be the biggest fight in MMA history.

That potential is the reason Zuffa signed Cyborg to a contract to pay her relatively rich salary as she competes in Invicta FC, which airs on UFC’s over-the-top video subscription service, until she could hit the 135-pound bantamweight limit to challenge Rousey.

In September, the pieces began fusing together. Rousey had a November date with Holly Holm, another name to add to her list. It’s said everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, but Rousey rarely allowed her opponents to hit the minute mark. Cyborg had stated her intentions to drop five pounds to 140 – her first meaningful step at cutting all the way down to bantamweight. It didn’t matter who she was fighting. Her dominance had passed the seven-year mark, and no real threat to her existed above 135-pounds.

It appeared the fight could line up with UFC 200. Then everything changed.

Holm upset Rousey in November. It was never close, and it certainly wasn’t a fluke. In December, Cyborg reneged on her 140-pound plan. Last week, days before she went against yet another overmatched and overpowered opponent, Cyborg declared dreams of her cutting down to 135 pounds were just that in an interview with MMA Fighting. “No more 135,” she stated. “Superfight? Yeah. I think that’s fair. Somebody can go up a little bit, I’ll go down a little bit.”

To this point, the UFC has been adamantly against a catch-weight super fight between Cyborg and its bantamweight champion. The champion doesn’t move up in weight to meet the challenger they say, ignoring that Cyborg’s claim to the #1 spot at 145 is equally as good if not better than the UFC champion’s claim to the #1 spot at 135.

So what’s the point of this UFC-Cyborg deal? In light of the changing circumstances, particularly Cyborg’s recent flat refusal to drop down, some have questioned why the UFC still has Cyborg under contract. The reason is money. Even though the UFC is shelling out a fair bit to keep Cyborg on retainer, the potential remains for a lucrative payday on the backend.

Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg is not dead, nor is its potential to be the biggest fight in MMA history. If Cyborg’s refusal to cut down to 135 holds – and based on her history you have to think she’ll go back-and-forth on it at least a couple of times a year – the UFC still has a shot at booking the fight. Whether she wins or loses in a rematch with Holm (or Miesha Tate, if the wind blows that way), most believe Rousey is not long for this sport. If Rousey loses to Holm again, that could be her career. However, if she wins the rematch, a fight with Cyborg opens up again.

Rousey has stated in the past that she sees a fight with Cyborg as her grand finale. Although the UFC’s current stance is to insist on Cyborg dropping to 135, that could easily collapse in the blinding light of the riches to be made on a Rousey retirement match with Cyborg. If Rousey is retiring either way, it makes no sense for the UFC to stubbornly insist on 135. Rousey has similarly insisted on Cyborg dropping to 135, but in the fight game such stances usually have a dollar value.

Even though talk of Cyborg usually revolves around Rousey, she has potential beyond that bout. With the exception of Rousey, Holm, and Miesha Tate, Cyborg is the biggest name female fighter above 135-pounds. Post-Rousey, it’s unlikely the bantamweight champion will draw big regardless of the opponent as Rousey did. That makes Cyborg an alluring option. She could be the difference between 300,000 or fewer buys and a legitimate big money fight.

Unlike Rousey, both Holm and Tate, who will fight for the bantamweight belt at UFC 197 in March, have expressed interest in meeting Cyborg at a 140-pound catch-weight. When the fighters are pushing for it and the finances make sense, it’s not hard to imagine the UFC slotting Cyborg in a 140-pound super fight in the future.

Despite her recent unwillingness to drop down to bantamweight, there are millions of reasons for the UFC to continue its agreement with Cris Cyborg. For a company quick to make money fights that don’t make real sense, they have been slow to promote Cyborg under their banner. But they can only hold out so long. Circumstances change, the business has its ups and downs, and Cyborg will be there waiting for the call.

Dan Plunkett has covered MMA for 411Mania since 2008. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @Dan_Plunkett.