Ronda Rousey fighting a man has actually become a real thing people talk about.

The UFC's bantamweight champion is so dominant, discussing her like any other combat athlete is next to impossible. Try to have a conversation about Rousey fighting any other female in her division. Other than guessing how many seconds it would last, there's not much to say at this point. So some turn to the topic of her fighting a dude.

Of course, in addition to that never-going-to-happen idea, there is another suggestion for Rousey's next challenge: move up in weight to fight Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris Justino.

The problem with that suggestion is that it's pretty absurd.

For the record: I want to see a Rousey versus Cyborg fight as much as anyone. It's one of, if not the, best fights the UFC could currently promote -- male or female.

Certain things have to happen in order for that fight to become reality though, and Rousey (11-0) moving up in weight, when no UFC weight class exists above her, is not one of them. Not yet, anyway.

The argument is that Rousey started her MMA career at 145 pounds and when she won an Olympic medal in judo in 2008, it was in the 154-pound class. So since Justino (13-1) has a hard time making 135 pounds, why can't Rousey move up in weight to make the fight happen?

The issue with this argument is that it completely ignores reality. Rousey doesn't need to make any concession to Justino at this time. She holds an incredible amount of leverage here, more than enough to book that fight on her own terms.

Rousey just defended a title for the largest fight promotion in the world. She did so at Staples Center, with several of her celebrity friends in attendance. She did it still sporting remnants of a tan, perhaps picked up during a tropical paradise photo shoot for this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

You get the picture here. Rousey is a bona fide superstar.

Contrast that with Justino, who also fought at Invicta 11 in Los Angeles, one night before Rousey's UFC title defense. Justino's performance drew attention, but it was no spectacle. You wouldn't have walked into the arena that night thinking you were about to see perhaps the best fighter in the world, which Justino considers herself to be.

All of this is to say, Justino needs Rousey more than the other way around.

Because Rousey is defeating challengers like Cat Zingano in 14 seconds -- because she makes it look so easy -- there is a temptation to then say that what Rousey is doing is easy.

That can be a slippery slope, because once you've convinced yourself that Rousey has it easy, you might then convince yourself that she needs to challenge herself. To really prove something, she has to challenge herself, right?

It's hard to understand how anyone could say Rousey needs to challenge herself with a straight face. Zingano isn't a challenge? How about winning an Olympic medal? Defending a UFC title multiple times per year, while filming Hollywood movies on the side? Essentially being single-handedly responsible for the fact that women are currently competing in the UFC to begin with? These things qualify as challenges, people.

And here is (what I believe to be) the reality lost in all this. Rousey has always said she does want to fight Justino -- just have her make 135 pounds. This is the only option the UFC is interested in because, unfortunately for Justino, it does not promote a 145-pound division. The current talent pool at that weight class is simply not deep enough.

Let's pretend, for a minute, that Justino does everything she can to make 135 pounds, but can't. Let's say she's running 38 miles a day and eating nothing but dehydrated butter-leaf lettuce for every meal -- and still can't get there.

Does Rousey really strike anyone as the kind of person who would walk away from MMA, undefeated, without ever fighting her most obvious dance partner? She doesn't strike me as that kind of person.

If Justino legitimately can't make the weight, then pressure might shift toward Rousey to accept a catchweight fight. And I believe, if that was the only way the fight could happen, she would accept the terms.

Until then, asking her to change her stance and move up to 145 pounds, where no UFC division exists, basically as a favor to her most dangerous opponent -- that might actually be wackier than the idea of her fighting a man.