Cyborg: Rousey has taken the 'easy path' her entire career
The Cris Cyborg-Ronda Rousey saga may end with a whimper.
Reacting to a report that Rousey's first fight in over a year will be against UFC women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, Cyborg wrote a lengthy Facebook post expressing her frustration and disappointment at once again missing out on a battle with her rival.
The Invicta FC featherweight champion believes she's done everything in her power to make the fight happen and that Rousey is simply playing it safe as always.
"If the fight against Ronda Rousey never happens, the fans will know it is because the promotion was unable to make the fight, not because I was unwilling to lose the weight or because of some failed PED test half a decade ago. Ronda has chose the easy path her entire career, and that is not going to change," Cyborg wrote.
Rousey has not fought since last November when she was knocked out by Holly Holm. The loss was the first of Rousey's career and it cost her the UFC women's bantamweight title. UFC president Dana White has repeatedly said that Rousey would receive a title shot upon her return even as her hiatus stretched on and the belt made its way to Nunes' waist.
For Cyborg, this is just another example of how Rousey's immense fame has benefited her.
"The ridiculousness of Ronda getting a title shot after a loss and a year layoff just goes to support the story that she was created by the media," Cyborg wrote. "More than any fighter who has ever existed, Ronda has benefited by company branding. She has benefited from the best interviews, the best sponsors, and the best fight promos and spotlights, but even with all of that marketing budget behind her, everyone has seen that she is not the best.
"The best don't lose like she did in Australia, and they certainly don't take a year off after such a performance."
Related: Cyborg on lack of 145-pound division: It's because 'I don't have blonde hair and blue eyes
A bout between Cyborg and Rousey seemed closer than ever this year after Cyborg made her Octagon debut at UFC 198. The women's featherweight queen has twice dropped down to 140 pounds to prepare for a hypothetical matchup with Rousey, putting her own division on hold.
But Rousey will instead get a chance to reclaim her title. While Cyborg is unhappy with the UFC's decision, she's confident that Nunes has what it takes to defeat Rousey. And she's not so confident that Rousey will have the resolve to bounce back from consecutive losses.
"Unlike Holly Holm, if Ronda Rousey goes 0-2 I am not sure she will continue to fight," Cyborg wrote. "She is fighting to win a popularity contest and win back an image, not to prove anything to herself. She never wanted to give the fans this fight against me.
"I am going to enjoy my holiday, and stop thinking about a fight against Ronda Rousey for awhile."