American mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey has been out of the UFC octagon ever since she suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 193 last November.
With Rousey's absence extending to almost eight months already, some UFC fans are clamoring for her return. Well, there might be another reason for her to come back to the fight scene: Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino has publicly challenged Rousey to a match this November.
According to ESPN, Justino posted a status update on her official Facebook page expressing her intention to face off with Rousey.
"There was a time in your life when you told people you wanted to fight me. Maybe you didn't quite understand the way the world worked then, but you also didn't care what anyone thought," Justino said, apparently referring to Rousey.
"I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you don't need to be the champ to fight me," she added, issuing a call for her and Rousey to fight at UFC 205 on November 12.
Justino also further criticised Rousey for supposedly worrying "about marketing an image created by the media," which the 31-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist said causes "our bigger goals" to be sacrificed.
"You can't look up because your face is in a pillow after being the bully and getting your ass kicked. Being humble enough to not believe the hype around you can be difficult," Justino told Rousey.
UFC president Dana White however said last month that Rousey is unlikely to fight this November due to a minor surgery she underwent.
"Ronda Rousey, I don't know... I'm hoping we're going to get Ronda back this year. She actually just had surgery yesterday on her knee. Nothing serious, just get in there, scope it and clean it out a little bit. She feels great. Her spirits are great. She's been training," White said, as quoted by The Guardian.
"If she fights, I'm hoping she fights in December. If not, then she would probably fight at the New Year show at the beginning of the year," White added.
