So as many people now know, Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Santos, the women's 145 lbs Strikeforce champ has been suspended for testing positive for some sort of steroid after her 16 second knock out defeat of Hiroko Yamanaka. She is said to be one of the most dominant MMA fighters, male or female, in the sport today.
If it is indeed true that she knowingly took the substance in question in order to enhance her performance in the cage then, yes the suspension and $2,500 fine is completely deserved. As the willing use of PEDs is one of the worst forms of cheating any athlete can do. If you feel like you have to cheat to win, maybe it's time to retire.
Now what is just coming into the MMA news is that Dana White that all so big fan of women's mma, has stripped Santos of the 145 lb title because of the positive test. And since it appears that the likely course for the women's strikeforce 145 lb division is oblivion. Since to quote Mr White; "We were going to hold that division and just do fights with 'Cyborg' whenever there was a new contender. She's getting stripped of the title. I don't know. We'll see what happens."
So because of one woman's screw up, the entire Strikeforce Women's 145 lb division goes up in smoke.
Hey Dana, remember when Miguel Torres made a joke about rape and you cut him? Then once the media hooplah died down you brought him right back in? Or when former UFC Lightweight Contender Hermes Franca was sentenced to 42 months in prison for unlawful penetration and the sexual abuse of an under age student at his gym? Just so everyone is on the same page, unlawful penetration is rape.
The usual course of action, sad that it's "usual", for when a champion tests positive for PEDs is for he or she to sit out while the top two contenders slug it out for the title. Then after the champion's suspension is up, the formally suspended champ and the new champ duke it out for the title. You know, when Sean Sherk was busted for PEDs then after his suspension was up he fought Penn for the title. I didn't see the men's 155 lb division go under because of one guy's screw up.
Granted there seems to be a huge lack of women at 145 in MMA. But hey, why not hold The Ultimate Fighter for women at 145? With the finals being for the Strikeforce 145 lb belt? Best case, it might just bring in more viewers and make more money for Zuffa and bring more high calibre women for 145. Worst case, Dana may not look like a total douche bag to a lot of women.
But hey, this entire situation just goes to show that currently in 2012 it is more socially acceptable for men to joke about rape than for a woman to screw up.
You know what Dana, sign me up, I'll fight at 145. Bring it on.
