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‘Cyborg’ will not be Ronda Rousey’s next opponent after record-breaking UFC 184

Rousey could meet Jessica Eye or Bethe Correia after submitting Cat Zingano in 14 seconds

UFC 184

Mark J. Terrill / AP

Ronda Rousey gets ready to fight Cat Zingano in a UFC 184 mixed martial arts bantamweight title bout Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Los Angeles. Rousey won after Zingano tapped out 14 seconds into the first round.

UFC 184

Ronda Rousey gets ready to fight Cat Zingano in a UFC 184 mixed martial arts bantamweight title bout Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Los Angeles. Rousey won after Zingano tapped out 14 seconds into the first round. Launch slideshow »

One name momentarily dislodged the grins on the faces of some of Ronda Rousey’s friends, family members and teammates after UFC 184.

The mention of Cristaine “Cyborg” Justino at the post-fight press conference elicited groans from the Rousey contingent. UFC President Dana White drowned them out along with the possibility of a bout between the two best female fighters happening any time soon.

“The thing with Cyborg is making that weight,” White said. “I just don’t know if she can make the weight. If she could make the weight a couple times, we’d see what we could do.”

Cyborg established herself as the greatest female fighter in the world at 145 pounds before Rousey broke into the UFC and far surpassed her perception- and visibility-wise as a dominant champion at 135 pounds.

Given the two’s war of words over the years, Cyborg is the only fighter Rousey hasn’t fought who could provoke a negative reaction from the champion’s camp. She’s also the only fighter left who wouldn’t be a colossal underdog against Rousey.

The two looked on a collision course once again this weekend with UFC-affiliated Invicta Fighting Championships holding a Cyborg bout Friday at the Shrine Auditorium less than two miles away from the Staples Center, site of Saturday’s UFC 184.

Both fighters did their part. Cyborg characteristically knocked out Charmaine Tweet — whom Rousey submitted in 49 seconds in 2011 — in 46 seconds Friday. Rousey submitted Cat Zingano with a trademark armbar in 14 seconds Saturday, setting the UFC record for fastest title-fight win.

But those thinking the dates implied an arrangement to set Rousey and Cyborg on the same timetable for a meeting later this year were mistaken as White insisted the bout wasn’t happening.

“I really don’t feel like anything is hanging over this fight tonight,” Rousey responded when asked about Cyborg. “I feel like we took a women’s main event and co-main event and sold out the Staples Center.”

There’s no contention it was another perfect night for Rousey in front of 17,654 fans who created a near $3 million gate.

Many felt the loss of the original main event, Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort, as well as a slew of other re-arranging relegated UFC 184 to secondary status. But Rousey received as much mainstream attention as ever, helping make early estimates on pay-per-view buys better than expected according to White.

And the champion didn’t disappoint in the fifth defense of her women’s bantamweight championship belt. Rousey had a feeling Zingao would initiate the fight by with an aggressive move so she was prepared when a flying knee came her way.

Rousey caught Zingano, dumped her to the ground and cranked her right arm to force a tap before ever getting touched.

“I was ready to do a million different things,” Zingano said. “I planned on getting in a fist fight tonight, not being done in 15 seconds.”

Rousey spent more energy speculating on future opponents afterwards than she did defending herself in the cage. She was receptive to facing Jessica Eye or Bethe Correia, the top two ranked 135-pounders in the UFC she hasn’t encountered, later in the year after she films her next movie, which she would not name.

Rousey also brought up Holly Holm, a former boxing champion who notched an uninspiring split-decision win (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) over Raquel Pennington in Saturday’s co-main event.

She even consoled Zingano with the possibility of a rematch someday.

“I think she definitely deserves another shot,” Rousey said. “Sometimes fights just go down like that. I’m lucky to have a lot of experience with judo and there were just times when I walked out and got dumped on my head right away. I just wasn’t myself that day. It doesn’t mean I didn’t deserve to be in that fight or couldn’t beat that other person. It was just that, for some reason, I wasn’t there. I understand that feeling.”

Rousey has never slogged through an off day in mixed martial arts. Cyborg increasingly looks like the only one potentially capable of putting Rousey in that situation.

But neither White nor Rousey will budge on weight. To make the biggest fight in women’s mixed martial arts, Cyborg must prove she can get to 135 pounds with at least one other fight.

Rousey isn’t moving.

“Why would the champ go there?” White asked. “It just doesn’t make sense. She’s the 135-pound champion here. She’s dominant. The champ doesn’t chase other people. If you want to fight the champ, you come to the champ.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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