Dana White Accuses Tito Ortiz Of Ruining Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino’s Career [Video]
Dana White accused former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz of ruining Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s career.
Following his loss to Forest Griffin at UFC 148 last July, Ortiz retired — briefly — from MMA and started a management company, Primetime 360 Entertainment & Sports Management Inc. The company picked up Justino as its first high profile client.
When Strikeforce was dissolved after being purchased by Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, Justino’s contract was picked up by the promotion. However, there was a catch — the 28-year-old former Strikeforce featherweight champion would have to compete in the 135-pound bantamweight division, the only weight class the UFC currently offers for women. Justino declined the offer and asked to be released from her contract. She signed with Invicta FC in February.
While Justino fights at 145 pounds, at the press conference announcing her new contract with Invicta, she weighed in at 160 pounds. She, Ortiz, and her doctors felt it would be impossible for her to drop to 135, since she has a walking around weight of 172 pounds.
“It is literally impossible for her to make that weight,” Ortiz said.
White was confused by the decision, saying:
“We were going to sign her to a contract and then we were going to have her fight in Invicta – which means we’d pay all the bills for her to fight in Invicta. She’d be under a UFC contract with all the perks and benefits of being a UFC fighter, and would fight in Invicta. So instead of doing that, they chose to not do that – and fight in Invicta. If you can make logic out of that whole f***ing situation, you’re a better man than I.”
Friday, White said Ortiz was “working really hard” on Justino’s career and had “already f***ed her career up.”
White said, “Can you imagine trying to do business with that f***ing buffoon? Try to have an educated conversation with him, it’s not possible.” He said he could have a better interaction with a monkey at a zoo than he could have with Ortiz.
Warning: the video below contains explicit language.
