Cris "Cyborg" Justino, the elephant in the room when any discussion of Ronda Rousey as the best woman fighter in the world is brought up, has a battle plan that includes proving late this summer that she can make 135 pounds, and challenge the UFC champion in her own weight class. But first, she battles for the Lion Fight Muay Thai welterweight title Friday night against Jorina Baars.

Cris "Cyborg" Justino is now talking openly about fighting at 135 pounds, with a time frame of the late summer or early fall set for her debut in the new division.

This, of course, is to open the door to fight with UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Making 135 isn't going to be easy for someone who said she was 165 pounds with four percent body fat before cutting this week. She wasn't expecting it to be a piece of cake cutting to 145 for her Muay Thai fight on Friday night with two-time champion Jorina Baars of The Netherlands. The bout, a five-rounder to create the women's welterweight (145 pound) title, airs live on AXS TV, from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. She's had issues making 145 in the past, including one fight being only able to get down to 151 before the California commission ordered her to stop cutting over health reasons. But she has made 145 for seven MMA fights and two kickboxing matches since 2009. Baars, 25, has had her own problems getting fights of late. She has a 35-0-3 record, but it's been three years since she's fought last. Baars has claimed nobody in Europe was willing to face her.

But no matter who Justino is fighting, the discussion always ends up in the same place, with Rousey.

She has claimed Rousey is trying to avoid her. Rousey, on the other hand, stated that she believes the failed test has made Justino's entire career a fraud. She's always said she would be willing to face her, whether she was clean or not, if she got to 135 pounds. UFC did try and put the fight together last year as it's first woman's fight ever. But negotiations at the time broke down over money, and Rousey instead faced Liz Carmouche.

At the time, Justino said, for health reasons, she couldn't make that weight. But now, among her biggest goals this year is to prove the opposite.

After Friday, her schedule is for a May MMA fight in Invicta at 145 pounds, a July return to Muay Thai with Lion Fights, also at 145, and then making 135 for the first time for an Invicta fight in either August or September.

She said if it was up to her, she'd like to fight every two months, and if there's an opening, she's also up for competing in jiu-jitsu tournaments this year.

"I (will) try to make 135," she said. "I will try. I think it's very important to make 135 so I can fight for the belt, and because I want to keep that weight class because there are more girls I can fight. I can fight a superfight. I'm already the champ at 145 (she holds the featherweight title with Invicta). I don't want to be selfish. I want one more belt. If I can fight at 135 for the belt, it's okay. I can fight at 145 and be more healthy. But it's not possible at 145 or a catch weight because Ronda is running from me. If I make 135, Ronda can't run."

Read the rest here:

Cristiane 'Cyborg' Justino battles for Muay Thai title, but knows move to bantamweight is key