Comment
WESTMINSTER, Calif. -- Former Strikeforce women's featherweight champion Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos has secured her release from Zuffa and plans a return April 5 against Ediane Gomes at Invicta FC 5.
"Cyborg" (10-1, 1 NC) has not fought since November 2011, when a 16-second knockout over Hiroko Yamanaka was overturned by the California State Athletic Commission because she tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
The 27-year-old Brazilian is scheduled to fight Gomes (10-2) in a No. 1-contender fight for Invicta at 145 pounds.
"I'm very happy for this opportunity April 5," Santos said during a news conference Friday. "I know her. She's Braziliain. She's a tough girl."
The contest is slated to headline a pay-per-view from the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City. Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp left the door open to the card being broadcast online, on television, or both.
"We are working out details still," she said.
The winner earns a shot against Invicta FC featherweight champion Marloes Coenen. If "Cyborg" gets past Gomes (a top submission specialist ranked as high as No. 2 at 145), it would be a rematch of a 2010 Strikeforce title defense in which Santos stopped the Dutch fighter in the third round.
Fights with Gomes or Coenen fall flat next to a contest with UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who defends her title for the first time Feb. 23 against Liz Carmouche. Santos emphasized that Rousey is the opponent she wants, making the 135-pound limit extremely problematic.
Because UFC isn't planning on extending women's weight classes beyond bantamweight, there is no place for Santos in the UFC if she can't make the weight. That reality and another failed round of negotiations led UFC president Dana White to announce this week that he was done trying to put "Cyborg" in the Octagon.
"'Cyborg' is essentially irrelevant right now," White said. "I mean, she really is. She's irrelevant. Go back, win some fights, get your name back, stay clean, stay off steroids, get your career back on track and we'll talk. But for her to think everybody should move around and jump through hoops for her is insane."
The fighter's new management team, Primetime 360, fronted by retired UFC champion Tito Ortiz and attorneys George Prajin and Anthony Lopez, amplified medical concerns about Santos' long-term health if she pursued Rousey at 135 pounds, and explained the UFC's desire to secure Santos to an eight-fight contract was unacceptable.
Said Santos: "Eight fights is too much."
"They wanted her to fight three fights in Invicta, fight in the UFC, sign an eight-fight contract basically with no direction on where the other four fights would take place," Prajin said. "I'm sorry. I can't let her sign that agreement."
Prajin said White's claim that a letter was sent to Zuffa on Santos' behalf declaring "I will die if I try to make 135" is inaccurate. "No one made a statement to that extent," he said.
Prajin described back-and-forth negotiations with UFC, which Ortiz said he handled personally with White. When Santos' management felt they had a deal lined up for three fights in Invicta leading to a possible super-fight in UFC against Rousey at 140 pounds, Prajin claimed UFC changed the deal the next day, which culminated with Rousey and White haranguing Santos as running scared.
"I'm never running," the fierce featherweight responded.
"I don't think she has to prove herself to anyone," Prajin said. "You can ask Gina Carano. You can ask all of her opponents. She has proven herself in the cage multiple times over and over again."
As far as White's concerned, Santos "wants nothing to do with Ronda."
"Cyborg" suggested that statements about her being afraid to fight Rousey have turned the matchup personal. To prove her point, Santos adorned a T-shirt that said, "Ronda will be my bitch."
"I really want to fight Ronda," Santos said. "The problem is because I can't drop to 135."
Ortiz suggested that Rousey, not his client, is being protected in this scenario. "If not [Zuffa] would have signed the deal we negotiated upon," he said. After thanking Zuffa for allowing Santos to fight outside the Octagon, Ortiz suggested Santos doesn't require a "promotion to push her name."
April's No. 1-contender bout against Gomes is the first of a three-fight deal between Santos and Invicta FC, which her team hopes will lead to a fight with Rousey next year.
Primetime 360 also vigorously defended Santos regarding her positive steroid test in California, labeling it a mistake in judgement because she had a hard time making 145 and the steroid helped with weight cutting. That fact, Ortiz said, indicates they are sincere about her inability to shed another 10 pounds to fight in Rousey's weight class.
"Cyborg" is willing to face random drug testing, according to her management.
"I think the UFC should be happy with our decision," Prajin said. "We didn't go to a competitor. We actually went to a company that's works with the UFC. She left a lot of money on the table by choosing this particular deal. But she chose this deal because of the flexibility."
See more here:
Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos secures release from Zuffa ...
- Upload your Real body to a Virtual Avatar ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Transcendent Consciousness for Transcendent Technologies : Part I - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Transcendent Consciousness for Transcendent Technologies: Part II - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Visions of the Future - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lessons from the Silver Surfer ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Playing God in a Video Game ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Rebellious Voyeur in our Society - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Renewable Energy and the New world - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Chennai Science Festival 2008 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Cyborg Football Time ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Wont be posting for a while - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Spiritual Transcendence in Transhumanism now published - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Widgetize time ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- An Inconvenient Truth indeed ! - Google style - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The latest Cyborg movie ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lost in Transcendence : A Tribute to Dr.Albert Hofmann - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Who came first ? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- How to truly become "BetterHumans" - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- A day in the life of a Transhuman Memestar - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- My Lonely Love - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The First "body slaves" : how ready are we for the posthuman body ? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Realizing our humble place in the posthuman civilization ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Brain controlled devices have come of age ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Touch and Go - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Cyborg Mystic - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Avatar..a great movie ! - January 31st, 2010 [January 31st, 2010]
- Iron Man 2 and the cyborg technology offshoots - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Saving the "Humanism" in Transhumanism - June 13th, 2010 [June 13th, 2010]
- Christina is Bionic - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- My recent article in IEET - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- REASONS FOR LOVE AND HOPE TO OTHER SPECIES IN THE POSTHUMAN FUTURE - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Misleading Perceptions of Improving “The Human Condition” - April 10th, 2011 [April 10th, 2011]
- Jean-Claude Van Damme - CYBORG (1989) Part 1 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg Spinning Back Kick KO - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg Suplexes way to Gold Medal Mundials (BJJ Worlds) 2011 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Cryptic Metal Gear Rising trailer lets you not understand the story right now - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- 009 Re:Cyborg Anime Film's Live-Action Promo Streamed - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- 009 Re:Cyborg's Extended "International Version" Trailer Posted - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Colourblind artist wants to be world’s first cyborg - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Moribito Designer Asou to Draw 009 Re:Cyborg Manga - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- National Geographic announces its Emerging Explorers for 2012 - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Colourblind artist wants cyborg eye in Irish passport - May 16th, 2012 [May 16th, 2012]
- Week in science faces our cyborg future - May 20th, 2012 [May 20th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman - Gary Oldman Signs Up For Robocop Remake - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman joining 'RoboCop' remake - May 25th, 2012 [May 25th, 2012]
- Gary Oldman signs up for Robocop remake - May 26th, 2012 [May 26th, 2012]
- Supertrailer - The best trailers of the week packed into one cinematic video - June 2nd, 2012 [June 2nd, 2012]
- Policemen Undergo Stress Management Seminar - June 3rd, 2012 [June 3rd, 2012]
- Scott Coker Says Cyborg Vs Rousey at 135 Will Happen: Fan Reaction - June 4th, 2012 [June 4th, 2012]
- MMAFighting: Coker vows Cyborg-Rousey fight - June 4th, 2012 [June 4th, 2012]
- Would Ronda Rousey Beat Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos in a Fight? Fan's View - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg: Is the Biggest Fight Strikeforce Can Make - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Scott Coker on Ronda Rousey vs. Cyborg: "Cyborg Is a Whole Other Level" - June 5th, 2012 [June 5th, 2012]
- Rousey vs. Cyborg in January? 'She Wants My Arm, I Want Her Head': Fan's Look - June 6th, 2012 [June 6th, 2012]
- DIY cyborg appendage is less exciting than it sounds (video) - June 8th, 2012 [June 8th, 2012]
- Robot Chicken goes free range, Seth Green says - June 9th, 2012 [June 9th, 2012]
- Cyborg Fuel Cell Powered by Brain Fluids - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie - Hugh Laurie To Play Robocop Villain - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie set to play villain in Robocop remake - June 13th, 2012 [June 13th, 2012]
- Hugh Laurie is being lined up to star in 'RoboCop' - June 14th, 2012 [June 14th, 2012]
- CFT: Star recruit Henry decommits from Georgia - June 15th, 2012 [June 15th, 2012]
- Cris Cyborg and Sarah Kaufman Mean Mugging on Fight Promo Video: Fan Reaction - June 18th, 2012 [June 18th, 2012]
- Amped Shows the Downside of Becoming a Cyborg - June 18th, 2012 [June 18th, 2012]
- Is that really just a fly? Swarms of cyborg insect drones are the future of military surveillance - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- Interior-Decorating Androids, Coming to a Living Room Near You - June 19th, 2012 [June 19th, 2012]
- A message for our cyborg drivers - June 23rd, 2012 [June 23rd, 2012]
- Cyborg system stifles your need to drink water - June 24th, 2012 [June 24th, 2012]
- Cyborg makes art using seventh sense - June 30th, 2012 [June 30th, 2012]
- A Surgical Implant for Seeing Colors Through Sound - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- My life as a cyborg - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- Making Location Services Slick & Simple - July 2nd, 2012 [July 2nd, 2012]
- Cyborg Gaming Mouse - July 5th, 2012 [July 5th, 2012]
- Nightwing And Cyborg Join Cast Of Injustice - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- Nightwing and Cyborg coming to Injustice: Gods Among Us - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- See Cyborg and Nightwing in 'Injustice: Gods Among Us' - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- SDCC 2012: Nightwing and Cyborg Join 'Injustice: Gods Among Us' - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- NEWS: Cyborg and Nightwing Revealed for Injustice: Gods Among Us - July 12th, 2012 [July 12th, 2012]
- 'Injustice' reveals Cyborg and Nightwing - July 13th, 2012 [July 13th, 2012]
- Human Cyborg: McDonald’s Employees Assaulted Me For Wearing My Gear - July 17th, 2012 [July 17th, 2012]
- Do Not Anger the Cyborg, People! - July 17th, 2012 [July 17th, 2012]