RIO DE JANEIRO UFC champ Cristiane Justino had been a target of Joe Rogans verbal jabs in the past. So, when he was the one with the microphone following her title-winning UFC 214 display, the symbolism was hard to miss.

Cyborg herself, at least, was quite aware of it.

I was thinking, I said Man, Joe Rogan is going to interview me,' Justino told MMAjunkie during a media day in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday. Im going to make some ironic play with him. You know, make all (these) ideas before the fight.

Justinos issues with Rogango a while back.While he didpublicly apologize for jokes about the champ having male genitals, made during a podcast that also featured UFC president Dana White back in 2015, he recently landed back on the champs bad side because of a later-cleared issue with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency stemming from a test for the banned diuretic spironolactone.

Before an investigation ended with Justino beinggranted a retroactive therapeutic use exemption (TUE)and cleared of any wrongdoing,Rogan expressed skepticism around her reasons to make use of the substance. Cyborg was quick to respond to him, who she called neither a friend or a fan.

Shes also been very public about how she feels her reputation was tarnished by the past remarks made by both Rogan and White whos also admitted to the UFCs share of blame when it comes to their dealings with the Brazilian featherweight.

But, at UFC 214, she preferred to take the high road.

It was my moment there, Justino said in her native Portuguese. I think him, at that moment, interviewing me, and Dana White putting the belt on my waist, that was a response in itself. I didnt need to say anything. I think they reflected at that moment. I didnt need to say anything and ruin a special moment for me.

We did the interview normally as if he was just any other person there. Im not saying that were going to become friends. But he was doing his job, and I was doing mine.

One can understand why Justino (18-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) wanted nothing more than to savor the moment. After all, the third-round knockoutover fellow former Invicta FC champ Tonya Evinger (19-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)carried some meaning. After a long, turbulent road, Cyborg had not only beaten the odds in making it to the UFC she was conquering the belt of a division built around her.

Theres also the fact that Cyborg seems to have developed somewhat of a thick skin when it comes to doping accusations. In fact, that was the main argument used by inaugural womens 145-pound champ Germaine de Randamie to refuse fightingthe then obvious contender Justino following a title win over Holly Holm.

While Justino has, in fact, failed a doping test in the past she was stripped from her Strikeforce title after testing positive for an anabolic steroid in 2011 shes not only admitted to it, but has taken extra steps to prove herself a clean athlete.

Which is why the accusations, she says, look more like insurance than anything else.

Ronda (Rousey) started this, to not fight me, Justino said. And then everybody said that. But the fans are smart. The fans know. I take the same test everybody does. Its USADA. I do the same thing. If you call me a cheater, you think USADA is cheating. You think theyre doing wrong, their jobs, if you think Im a cheater. Because I do the same as everybody.

Im the first athlete (who) signed with USADA one year before I fought in the UFC. When I fought in Curitiba (at UFC 198), I (had already been working) with USADA for one year. When I fought in Invicta I fought girls who didnt have to take USADA tests. I did this to prove Im a clean athlete. I made a mistake. Everybody makes mistakes, but everybody likes to judge you.

I think (De Randamie) wanted insurance to not fight me; she didnt have an excuse. First (it was) about the doping, after (it was) the hands, after (it was) the doctor, after the family. I dont know. Any day youd interview her, she had an excuse.

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Cris 'Cyborg' explains taking high road during Joe Rogan interview ... - MMAjunkie.com