Opinions, opinions.
Everyone has got them, including medical professionals who are charged with protecting the health -- and possibly even the self interests -- of their patients.
The cardiologist who former Strikeforce female champion Cristiane Santos relies on to ensure that her lub-dub lub-dubs properly to keep her blood pumping, recently warned her that cutting 10 pounds could have detrimental effects on her ticker. In addition to the potential pulmonary problems, the drop from her current fighting weight of 145 to pounds to 135 pounds could prohibit "Cyborg" from "carrying a child later in life."
Risking life and possibly motherhood for a mixed martial arts (MMA) fight seems like a pretty easy decision: No thanks.
Then again, it's only one opinion and, as we've already explained, everyone has got them, including medical professionals who are charged with protecting the health -- and possibly even the self interests -- of their patients. Just because it's one opinion, naturally, doesn't mean it's the correct or accurate reflection of the current situation.
Rather than let me try and explain it, I'll turn it over to Darin Harvey, who represents current Strikeforce female champion -- and possibly future big-money "Cyborg" opponent -- Ronda Rousey, who just so happens to weigh 10 pounds less than the Brazilian.
Harvey breaks it down to Yahoo!Sports.com:
"If you ask five doctors, you'll get five different opinions. I guarantee you, you can find doctors that'll say the weight cut will be fine.... It all depends on what side they're working for. It's her doctor. If you're going to trial, I can find a professional witness to make you look innocent or make you look guilty.... I don't want to see anyone get hurt long-term ... but my personal belief is she can lose the weight. She would just prefer an advantage to fight at 145 pounds. And I think we have the advantage at 135."
It's not outside the realm of possibility to speculate that a different doctor, under different circumstances, might provide a different medical opinion. A doctor who is unaware that "Rowdy" has been vocal and firm in her stance that "Cyborg" needs to ingest fewer steroids, focus more on nutrition to make the division limit or simply get lost.
I mean, would this "medical" issue really have gotten this far if a performance-enhancing former male champion was calling out a smaller fighter, while at the same time providing medical reasons for a 135-pound title fight to be contested at 145 pounds? It makes no sense, really, but in this case it does because Rousey vs. Cyborg is the female fight to make.
Tough, angry and talented female fighters who can put butts and seats are few and far between. Gina Carano might be able to do it, but her ship sailed years ago after Santos beat her pillar-to-post and packing for a lucrative career in Tinseltown as an action hero.
Even still, Rousey and Santos would most likely mangle her pretty mug if she made the surprise decision to return to combat sports.
The bottom line is that Santos is pulling out all the stops to not cut all the weight, which may or may not be the correct medical opinion, while Rousey and her camp are digging in their heels and, correctly, calling for Santos to lose the extra baggage or stop whining. It seems like an impasse, one that should never have even gotten this far but did because they are tough, angry and talented female fighters.
So how do we solve this? Well, with what else, money. It solves everything in Dana White's world with the exception of a Jeremy Stephens jail break and a $1 billion check to make Anderson Silva fight Jon Jones in a true "super fight" for the ages.
It's a green possibility that Rousey's manager can't quite completely rule out:
"We want that fight because it's a big money fight. We want to fight Cyborg and I think Ronda can beat her at any weight. But I believe if she's not taking drugs, 135 pounds will be absolutely no problem.... At the end of the day, it's up to Ronda. I would advise against it because I would like to do everything to get Cyborg down to 135 pounds, but I know it's the fight the world wants to see. I think it's a million-plus Pay-Per-View fight, so we have to take those things into consideration."
Opinions, opinions.
Everyone has got them, including MMA managers who are charged with protecting the health -- and possibly even the self interests -- of their fighters.
Who can blame them.