The UFC created a special event in New York onSaturday night just for Cris Cyborg Justino.

Instead of being celebrated and favored to be fitted for a new gold title band around her waist, however, Brazils powerful and vicious fighter is expected to be back near her Southland training home when the fight begins.

Justino(16-1) twice balked at proposed title bouts to start the UFCs newly created 145-pound womens featherweight division, according to UFC President Dana White.

Then, by submitting a positive test for what Justino identified as the banned diuretic spironolactone on Dec. 5, she was replaced in Saturdays UFC 208 main event at Brooklyns Barclays Center.

Former 135-pound bantamweight champion Holly Holm (10-2), best known for vanquishing then-bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey by second-round head kick in 2015, will now meet former kick-boxing champion Germaine De Randamie (6-3) of the Netherlands in Saturdays main event.

Justinois appealing to the UFCs drug-testing authority, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, for a retroactive therapeutic-use exemption for the diuretic, explaining thata doctor in Brazil prescribed her the substance for high-blood pressure.

Her challenge, according to an official familiar with the case who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, will be proving to USADA that no other prescribed drug could have been used to treat her condition.

A decision on the matter could come later this week, the official said.

Should her appeal be denied, Justinocould be subject to either a one-year ban dating to the time she submitted the sample, or for two years should her prior positive test for a steroid in 2011 be considered.

Justinodeclined to comment.

When I first got into the UFC, everyone was asking me about fighting Ronda, Holm said in a conference call last week. I know Cris Cyborg is the big name in the 145-pound division, but right now, with her situation, Ill just let that pan out. I dont want to just obsess about one fighter.

I still have so much to do Germaine is right in front of me. There has to be a lot to happen before our fight. [Cyborg] has to deal with whatevers going on with USADA who knows whats going on with that. And Ive got to get through this fight.

One reason Justino, 31, is so popular is that she hasnt lost a fight since her 2005 mixed martial arts debut.

By 2009, she joined the now-defunct Strikeforce organization, won its featherweight belt that year and successfully defended it three times before the California State Athletic Commission nabbed her for a positive test for the steroid stanozolol aftera 2011 title win in San Diego.

In the Invicta Fight Club, she won its featherweight belt in 2013 and defended that belt three times including a watershed first-round knockout win in Costa Mesa in January 2016.

White and then-UFC Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta attended the 2016 bout, watched Justinohammer challenger Daria Ibragimova with punches and finish her before the first round was complete.

The UFC bosses had seen all they needed, and while Justinoraised Whites ire by previously complaining shed risk death if forced to cut weight and fight Rousey at 135 pounds, she was signed for two 140-pound catch-weight fights in Brazil.

Justino needed just 81 seconds to finish Leslie Smith by punches, and after subjecting Lina Lansberg to severe first-round punishment in a Sept. 24 main event, she ended that bout halfway through the second.

It was at that event in the Brazilian capital ofBrasilia, said a UFC official, thatJustinos apparent leveraging for the creation of the new 145-pound division began to raise internal suspicions.

While she was meeting fight-week weight thresholds suggested by the organization Justinoweighed 156 pounds fully clothed at the beginning of fight week, according to a UFC official she was complaining publicly about being nearly 20 pounds overweight and describing her weight cut as excruciating.

After Justinostriumph, Holm said she was summoned to a meeting with White.

Before the 145-pound division [was formed], he said, Were offering a fight with Cyborg at 140, what do you think? I said, Im open to that, but then [Cyborg] said she wasnt ready, that she didnt want to go to that weight, Holm said.

De Randamie said she was told that Justinoturned down a 145-pound title fight against her.

On Dec. 14, the UFC announced the formation of the new womens featherweight division with the Holm-De Randamie bout, and eight days later, Justinos positive sample was revealed.

I respect everybodys opinion, about Justinobeing the best 145-pound fighter in the world, but Cris got the offer to fight Holly and Cris got the offer to fight me. She wasnt able to fight, De Randamie said.

Then Holly and I got the exact same offer and we said yes. If youre a champion, you fight the best. Holly and I are going to fight and well decide wholl be the next No. 1. If one of us has to defend the title against Cris Cyborg, it will be against Cris Cyborg.

If you look at Hollys credentials and my credentials, weve both accomplished a lot for the sport, so we absolutely belong at the top. One of us will be the 145 champion.

UFC 208

Who: Holly Holm (10-2) vs. Germaine De Randamie (6-3) for new womens featherweight belt

When: Saturday, 7 p.m. PST

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn

Television: Pay-per-view, $59.95

Undercard: No. 7 Anderson Silva (33-8) vs. No. 8 Derek Brunson (16-4), middleweights; No. 3 Ronaldo Jacare Souza (23-4) vs. No. 13 Tim Boetsch (20-10), middleweights; No. 3 Glover Teixeira (25-5) vs. No. 15 Jared Cannonier (9-1), light-heavyweights

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter:@latimespugmire

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UFC fighter Cris 'Cyborg' Justino is a big draw, but is facing a possible drug suspension - Los Angeles Times