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For FloCombat via A.G Fight



After plenty of rifts with the UFC, Cris "Cyborg" Justino finally has a date, place and, especially important, opponent for her next fight.



However, her UFC 214 bout opposite Tonya Evinger on July 29 in Anaheim, California, marks yet another outing where her opponent comes from a lower weight class to challenge the featherweight wrecking machine.



The current Invicta FC bantamweight champion, Evinger recently replaced Megan Anderson, the Australian featherweight title holder for Invicta that, according to Cyborg, acted irresponsibly in failing to submit the correct paperwork ahead of UFC 214; she was forced to withdraw from the event.



"I think since it took the UFC so long [to establish a featherweight division], most featherweights opted for Bellator," Justino said during a video call with Brazilian reporters on Tuesday. "They are there. There are some others at Invicta. It was supposed to be Megan (Anderson), but for a lack of legal documents she will not be able to make the fight. That's her irresponsibility.



"Tonya (Evinger) agreed to save the fight. She is coming up from a lower division, but she's top-10 at bantamweight, she is brave. I respect her for having accepted the fight at the time, and it is a great opportunity for her to show herself and get to the UFC."



Evinger will compete for the UFC featherweight title in her first fight for the promotion. Justino will make her debut in the division as well, but she has already won two UFC fights at catchweight last year.



The now-vacant women's featherweight title was originally contested between Germaine de Randamie and Holly Holm in February. However, de Randamie, who narrowly outpointed Holm for the belt at UFC 208, refused to fight Cyborg, citing a failed drug test that was the cause for Justino's recent suspension.



"If you are the contender and you are ready […] the person with the belt cannot say no," Justino said regarding de Randamie's refusal to fight her. "But it doesn't matter. Whoever is deserving of reaching the goal can't be left out. It has happened several times in the last two years (in the UFC). Several fighters that were close to the belt were held off. I don't think it's fair."



That, however, is not necessarily intended to be a shot toward the UFC, but more toward champions who try to handpick opponents, Justino said.



"As Dana said, before [de Randamie] got into the Octagon (at UFC 208), she already knew. You were hoping you wouldn't have to face me. It was already the idea of not fighting me if I was a champion. She wanted to go back to bantamweight and have two belts, but she was hoping she wouldn't have to face me."



Still, with de Randamie out of the way and her own title fight set for next week, Cyborg is looking forward to pursuing her own lofty goals.



"Women's MMA doesn't have to have one face only," Justino said about the state of the UFC's female divisions.



After mainstream superstar Ronda Rousey lost her last two fights and is likely headed toward retirement, Cyborg thinks that even with its biggest draw leaving, women's MMA can go a long way.



"There are so many female fighters in the UFC," she said. "They made Ronda the face [of women's MMA], and when she lost two fights and didn't want to come back, there was no more 'face.' So, when I fight, I'm going to represent all the women."