The UFC is going to be getting a new women’s featherweight champion as Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is set to face Megan Anderson on July 29 at UFC 214.
Germaine De Randamie had won the women’s featherweight championship, but has recently stated she would not fight Cyborg and she wanted to go back to the women’s bantamweight division. The UFC officially stripped her of the title on Monday.
The UFC subsequently issued a statement announcing the move, and the upcoming featherweight title fight.
The fighters wanted it and the fans wanted it, and on Saturday, July 29, the UFC is delivering a world championship bout between Brazil’s Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Australia’s Megan Anderson, who will compete for the vacant UFC women’s featherweight title in the co-main event of UFC 214.
The bout will fill the vacancy left by the removal of Germaine de Randamie as 145-pound champion. The UFC explained the vacancy in a statement.
"UFC has informed Germaine de Randamie and her management team that she is being removed as the women’s featherweight champion due to her unwillingness to fight the No. 1 ranked contender, Cris ‘Cyborg' Justino. Subsequently, top contender Justino will face newly signed Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson for the UFC women’s featherweight title in the co-main event of UFC® 214: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, July 29 in Anaheim, Calif.
UFC maintains that any champion is expected to accept fights against the top contenders in their respective weight classes in order to maintain the integrity of the sport.”
In the UFC 214 main event, which airs live on Pay-Per-View from Honda Center in Anaheim, it’s the long-awaited rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and former titleholder Jon Jones. Tickets are on sale now.
It’s been a title fight long in the making for Cyborg (17-1, 1 NC), one of the top female fighters of all-time and one of the most feared competitors in the game. Unbeaten for 12 years, the Curitiba native has owned the Strikeforce and Invicta FC championships, beating the likes of Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen and Charmaine Tweet along the way. In 2016, she made her highly anticipated UFC debut, and she didn’t disappoint in stopping Leslie Smith in just 81 seconds. In her most recent bout in September, Cyborg halted Lina Lansberg in two rounds.
Looking to derail the Brazilian freight train rolling through Southern California this July is Queensland native Anderson (8-2). One of the rising stars in the sport, the 27-year-old began her career at home in Australia, but once she relocated to train in Kansas City, she went from prospect to champion in less than two years. A five-fight veteran of the Invicta FC promotion, Anderson has won four in a row by knockout, with her January stoppage of Tweet earning her the Invicta 145-pound title. Now she will attempt to add UFC gold to her collection when she meets Cyborg in one of the biggest WMMA fights in history.
De Randamie would tell MMA Fighting that she learned of the news via social media.
Justino (17-1-0-1NC) is currently undefeated under the UFC banner, having defeated Lina Lansberg and Leslie Smith. Justino is a former Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Champion and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion. Justino hasn’t suffered a defeat in just over twelve years, as her lone loss as a pro came to Erica Paes at Showfight 2 in May 2005.
Anderson (9-2-0) is the current Invicta FC Featherweight Champion and she is going to be making her UFC debut in this fight. Anderson was set to defend her championship against Helena Kolesnyk at Invicta FC 24, but that fight is apparently off the table now. Anderson holds a record of 1-1-0 against UFC fighters, defeating Peggy Morgan at Invicta FC 18 and suffering a defeat to Cindy Dandois at Invicta FC 14.
UFC 214 takes place on Saturday, July 29 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California with Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
