What a long strange trip it's been for Cris Cyborg.

In under two years time, the Brazilian wrecking machine has gone from being the most feared female mixed martial artist on the planet, to teetering on the boundaries of relevance. With women's MMA, a sport the 27-year-old helped build, is currently experiencing its greatest push to date, the current situation Cyborg finds herself in only becomes all the more curious.

Multiple factors have played a hand in the former Strikeforce featherweight champion's fall from prominence. That being said, the road back to the top of the sport is still an open path to travel. But with her request to be released from her UFC contract and signing to compete in the Invicta FC fight promotion against Ediane Gomes in April, it appears navigation on the journey to reclaim her status will ultimately play the most crucial role.

Inside the cage, Cyborg isn't a fighter many women are lining up to tangle with. Unfortunately for the former Chute Boxe fighter, her most difficult battle will likely come on the front lines of MMA media.

Not Buying Tickets to The Ronda Rousey Show

This Saturday night, the doors of the Octagon will open for the first women's MMA bout in the organization's history. The media push to promote the show down between women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey's first title defense against Liz Carmouche has been non-stop and the blitz has put the spotlight on WMMA more than ever before.

While Carmouche is a solid opponent to face Rousey in the historic bout, the Team Hurricane Awesome fighter wasn't the UFC's first choice-- a turn of events the UFC has made public. In fact, had things gone differently during the process of putting together the first women's bout under the UFC banner, the long-awaited show down between Rousey and Cyborg would be the main event at this weekend's UFC 157 in Anaheim.

Cyborg was on the sidelines in 2012, serving a one-year suspension after failing her post-fight drug test following her fight with Hiroko Yamanaka in December of 2011. During her absence, Rousey's stock skyrocketed as she not only claimed the Strikeforce bantamweight title against Miesha Tate, but defended the belt before the year closed out.

"Rowdy's" success only served to build the potential match-up of former Strikeforce champions, as she called out Cyborg at every turn. But the biggest hitch in making the fight a reality came down to the 10-pound weight difference between their respective weight classes.

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Cris Cyborg: Is There a Method to the Madness?