Cris “Cyborg” Justino: Rousey is “too good” to stay down, but she’ll only return for one opponent

Cris “Cyborg” Justino, who has owned both the Strikeforce women’s featherweight title and the Invicta featherweight title, has long stood out as one of the best female fighters on the planet. As such, there has been a long-standing and widespread desire to see her test her mettle against the best female fighters in the UFC – particularly against Ronda Rousey, who enjoyed an incredible run of dominance as the UFC women’s bantamweight champion from early 2013 to late 2015.

While the desire for a Cyborg vs. Rousey superfight was always present among fans, however, it was never made, as debates over the conditions of the fight – particularly the weight class it would occur in – served as an insurmountable hurdle.

Today, when Rousey is neck-deep in a two-fight losing-streak, and quickly tumbling in the direction of a permanent retirement from MMA, it’s looking like a fight between her and Cyborg will probably never happen.

While a Cyborg vs. Rousey fight now looks like a near impossibility, however, Cyborg believes that we might still see Rousey back in the UFC’s Octagon. Responding to BJPenn.com’s Tom Taylor, the destructive featherweight star explained that she expects Rousey to return for a third fight with long-time rival Miesha Tate, who recently retired from MMA.

“I think we will eventually see Miesha vs Ronda 3,” Cyborg explained. “Ronda is too good of a champion to stay down. I think she enjoys her time away before eventually finding the desire to compete again. The UFC is keeping Miesha’s profile high by continuing to promote her with tv and fan appearances so I think we will see them both back inside the cage again.”

Do you think this prediction from Cyborg is correct? Is it a matter of time before Rousey and Tate step into the Octagon for a third fight? Sound off, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/4/2017.