After nearly fourteen months of stagnation due to failed contract negotiations, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos says she has finally re-signed with her home Strikeforce promotion. The female Strikeforc featherweight champion announced the news via her reliable, always classy, Twitter account. She also explained that information regarding her next bout would be announced shortly, probably also via Twitter…

Strikeforce officials have not yet made and announcements regarding the deal but Santos’ website states the deal stretches a year.

The mean and gritty Santos (10-1 MMA, 4-0 SF) fought twice for EliteXC before signing with Strikeforce. She then defeated Gina Carano for the vacant belt in one of the most viewed women’s fights of all time. Then she knocked out Marloes Coenen and Jan Finney in two straight title defenses.

Santos’ contract with the promotion expired with her most recent appearance, the one-sided TKO win over Finney in June 2010 at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum.” That fight notched her 10th straight victory.

Since then Santos has been inactive in term of fights in the sport of MMA. Santos’ reps and Strikeforce apparently were far apart on financial terms for the deal, which led to the long, drawn out layoff.

Now, with Santos apparently re-signed, and Carano rumored to make a return in December, could this be the much needed push to keep female MMA alive and well? And if so, who should the two square off with first? Let’s hear some thoughts on Santos’ return BJPenn.com.

- By Jake Chastain