MEGAN ANDERSON FOLLOWS DE RANDAMIE'S LEAD AND "TAPS OUT"

Although I was absolutely certain from the start that Megan Anderson would end up just another victim of the unstoppable force that is Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino come UFC 214, like most who shared my opinion, I nonetheless gave her credit for agreeing to step into the octagon with a woman whose skill and power are so feared that even former UFC women's featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie recently outright refused to fight her, resulting in the UFC since stripping de Randamie of the title.

Despite de Randamie's efforts to disguise her cowardice with one excuse after another in the aftermath, few fans cared for her protestations, recognizing that her unwillingness to defend the belt meant that a face-off between WMMA legend Justino and the up-and-coming Anderson was the only card the UFC had left to play. Having more or less ignored the fact that she'd been called out by Justino months earlier (after de Randamie claimed she couldn't compete due to pending hand surgery following her fight against Holly Holm), Anderson surprisingly claimed to be "the only one" with the ability to defeat "Cyborg" while appearing on popular MMA journalist Ariel Helwani's show, only to become visibly uncomfortable when Justino phoned in moments later and challenged her to put her money where her mouth was. Although Anderson ultimately agreed to the fight, it was clear to many even as the words left her mouth that she knew full well she wasn't ready for a competitor of Justino's caliber, and while she did her level best to maintain a brave front over the following weeks, it now appears the true gravity of the situation has finally dawned on Megan and her handlers.

Officially, Megan has pulled out of the fight to deal with an unidentified "personal issue", but there's little doubt in my mind that the issue to which she's alluding is fear. Not that I can blame her for being afraid, in all honesty. Given the number of fighters beaten into immediate retirement or existing as a shell of their former selves after facing Justino, I wouldn't want to face her in the octagon either. That said, I also wouldn't have allowed my mouth to write a check my behind couldn't cash had I been in Anderson's position, as no one with an 8-2 record was ever going to do anything but get demolished going up against a woman recognized by many as the greatest fighter in WMMA history, who just so happens not to have lost a fight in over a decade besides. However, that's precisely what Megan Anderson did, and as a result fans who only days ago praised her courageousness are instead beginning to associate her with the same lack of backbone de Randamie previously displayed.

If the UFC continues to support the women's featherweight division, there is no doubt they will push Anderson, as she has the look, media skills, and potential as a fighter that will almost certainly make her the biggest thing in WMMA since Ronda Rousey. Unfortunately, though Anderson will ultimately achieve her dream of fighting in the UFC some day, the spectre of Justino will loom large over her career forever, as even if she's named interim UFC women's featherweight champion after Justino leaves the organization in the fall as many expect, there will always be those who point out that she ducked Cris "Cyborg" just as de Randamie and Rousey did before her.

I've considered Megan Anderson one of the most talented new faces in the top tier of the sport today for a while now, so to say that I'm extremely disappointed by her decision not to face "Cyborg" is an understatement, as this potentially puts her on the path to become yet another hyped-up "paper champion". To be fair, there may be a legitimate reason Anderson withdrew herself from this highly anticipated bout, but until she clearly specifies what that reason is, I'm going to hold to the opinion that she simply came down with a case of "yellow" fever, and continue to recognize Cris "Cyborg" Justino as the undisputed featherweight champion of WMMA in general, as apparently there are no legitimate contenders willing to face her.