Dana White: UFC is ‘out of the Cyborg enterprise’
The connection between the UFC and its former featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino seems to be carried out.
In an interview launched on the corporate’s YouTube channel on Friday, UFC president Dana White declared he’s “out of the Cyborg enterprise” and can waive any contractual matching rights he owns on one of many largest stars in feminine combined martial arts.
“I will launch her from her contract and I can’t match any affords [she receives],” White mentioned. “She is free and clear to go to Bellator [MMA] or any of those different promotions and battle these straightforward fights she needs. Accomplished. Accomplished deal. I’ll actually, in the present day, have my lawyer draft a letter to [Justino’s team saying] that she is free and clear.”
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White’s assertion successfully eliminates any hope of a rematch between Justino (21-2) and two-weight champion Amanda Nunes (18-Four). Nunes claimed Justino’s 145-pound title in December, in a surprising 51-second knockout victory. White has repeatedly claimed Justino does not need the rematch, which Justino has accused him of mendacity about.
Justino, 34, fought out her UFC contract lower than one week in the past, at UFC 240 in Edmonton. She defeated Felicia Spencer through unanimous choice.
In an look on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Present earlier this week, Justino demanded White apologize publicly for “bullying” her up to now and damaging her model. Even earlier than White’s feedback on Friday, Justino mentioned she meant to check free company and discipline affords from different promotions. Apparently, she is now legally free to take action.
Justino’s group didn’t instantly reply to request for remark.
The connection between the UFC and Justino started in 2013, when the UFC signed her to a promotional deal that allowed her to battle within the all-female promotion Invicta FC. Justino made 5 appearances in Invicta, earlier than transitioning to the UFC in 2016.
It has been a rocky pairing, to say the least. Justino has repeatedly pointed to 1 second in 2014, when White mentioned she appeared like “[male fighter] Wanderlei Silva in a costume and heels.” Simply this week, Justino re-posted video of that interview on her social media.
“I am struggling bullying,” Justino mentioned this week. “The place is the code that you do not do that? He’s the boss. How does the boss make enjoyable of your athlete? It is a lady, say she has a penis, she’s a man. It’s important to have guidelines. This isn’t proper. I’ve a daughter, I’ve a mother, I’ve a dad. My daughter had an issue at school already due to this.”
White disputed Justino’s perspective on the matter within the interview posted on Friday, and mentioned his remark from 2014 was related to a drug check Justino failed in 2011, and has been extensively taken out of context.
“[Former UFC champion] Ronda [Rousey] mentioned, ‘That girl has taken so many medicine, she’s not a girl anymore. She’s an it,'” White mentioned. “As soon as she mentioned that, I used to be doing a media scrum and was requested about Ronda’s feedback.
“I mentioned to the media, ‘Did you see her on the MMA awards? Did you not assume she was on steroids?’ … I used to be saying she appeared like Wanderlei Silva in a costume, what I meant was she had the identical physique as Wanderlei Silva. And one month later, Wanderlei Silva evades a drug check and will get a three-year suspension from the game.”
Initially from Curitiba, Brazil, now preventing out of Southern California, Justino is tied with Valentina Shevchenko because the No. 2 pound-for-pound feminine fighter within the sport, in keeping with ESPN. Along with MMA, she has expressed curiosity in accepting knowledgeable boxing match.
Regardless of Justino’s obvious departure from firm, White mentioned the UFC will proceed to advertise the 145-pound feminine weight class.