The UFC continues to have issues with their champions and getting them to defend their titles.
Earlier this year, former UFC bantamweight contender Germaine de Randamie captured the promotion's inaugural women's featherweight title when she defeated former 135-pound champ Holly Holm at UFC 208 via unanimous decision. "GDR" handed "The Preacher's Daughter" her third-straight loss and earned herself her third-straight victory.
Immediately after the fight fans began calling for de Randamie's first title defense to be against Cyborg Justino, who many call the best pound-for-pound female fighter of all time, but the new 145-pound champ claimed she had a hand injury.
Many began claiming that de Randamie made up the hand injury story to avoid the Brazilian powerhouse known as Cyborg, and she followed that up by refusing to fight her due to her past issues with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
As a result, the UFC made the announcement earlier today (Mon. June 19, 2017) that de Randamie had been stripped of her title and a featherweight title fight between Cyborg and Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California:
"UFC has informed Germaine de Randamie and her management team that she is being removed as the women’s featherweight champion due to her unwillingness to fight the No. 1 ranked contender, Cris ‘Cyborg' Justino.
"Subsequently, top contender Justino will face newly signed Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson for the UFC women’s featherweight title in the co-main event of UFC® 214: CORMIER vs. JONES 2, July 29 in Anaheim, Calif.
UFC maintains that any champion is expected to accept fights against the top contenders in their respective weight classes in order to maintain the integrity of the sport.”
MMA Fighting reached out to de Randamie to get her reaction to the sudden news, and the now-former featherweight champ stated that the UFC never told her anything about stripping her and that she found out like everyone else - through social media. She also said that she will return to the Octagon soon, however, she'll be doing it at 135 pounds (quotes via MMA Fighting):
"I had absolutely no idea that I was being stripped of the belt," de Randamie told MMAFighting.com moments after the news broke. "I found out through social media. Cyborg (Justino) is going to fight Megan (Anderson) for the belt.
"Nobody ever told me anything about it. I'm definitely coming back. I will go back to 135 pounds."
What are your thoughts on the UFC stripping de Randamie of the gold? Have your say in the comments section below!