Tito Ortiz: Holly Holm did to Ronda Rousey what Cris Cyborg 'would have done'

Cris Cyborg would have knocked out Ronda Rousey, too, except Holly Holm beat her to it, according to Tito Ortiz.

Ortiz, a longtime member of Cyborg's team and her former manager, told MMA Fighting in a recent interview that he believes Cyborg would have done the same thing Holm did to Rousey had she gotten the opportunity.

"Cris Cyborg is the pound-for-pound best woman in the world, I believe," Ortiz said after Invicta FC 15 on Jan. 16. "Holly Holm did what Cris would have done to Ronda. Holly Holm got that chance. She's a great woman champion. But Cris is one of the most vicious fighters in the world."

Holm beat Rousey via second-round head kick knockout at UFC 193 back in November. A fight between Rousey and Cyborg was highly anticipated as the biggest in women's MMA history. Cyborg fights for Invicta, but is under contract with Zuffa, the UFC's parent company, with the agreement that if she can make 135 pounds she can move over to the UFC.

With Holm defeating Rousey, Cyborg's future is uncertain. The Invicta featherweight champion knocked out Daria Ibragimova at Invicta 15 and has dominated everyone in her path for years. Cyborg has not been to decision since 2008 and hasn't lost since 2005.

"She just attacks," Ortiz said. "There's no woman fighter in the world like her at all. She's bred to fight. She comes from Brazil and Brazilians are the toughest fighters in the world. She loves this. This is fun for her."

Few would argue that Cyborg is the best dominant fighter in the world. The big question, though, is her level of competition and who is next. Invicta president Shannon Knapp said she would look into a superfight between Cyborg and Invicta bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger. Ortiz thinks Cyborg just needs to stay the course.

"Just keep giving her fights as the UFC did with Ronda," Ortiz said. "Ronda just kept getting fights, getting fights. The other girls huff and puff and scream and yell. Those are the ones that are the weakest, but they look good for pay-per-view, they look good for interviews. When it's fight time, Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg are at the top of the world. The rest of the women are looking up at them."

Maybe a fight between Cyborg and Rousey could still happen. Right now, though, Ortiz said Cyborg's team (she's managed by George Prajin of Primetime 360 Entertainment & Sports Management) is very interested in a bout with Holm at a 140-pound catchweight. There's no longer any chance of Cyborg moving to 135, which is an issue because the UFC doesn't have a 145-pound weight class.

"Holly Holm said she would come up and Cris would cut that extra five pounds," Ortiz said. "That extra five pounds is hurting her a little bit, but Cris is willing to do it. Just to give it to the fans. That's the kind of fighter Cris is, to give the fans fights. That's what she wants. She'll fight anybody, man."

She just needs some legitimate opponents to fight.