During the live Bellator 255: “Pitbull vs Sanchez 2” broadcast, the promotion announced the booking of a women’s Featherweight title fight with division queen, Cris Cyborg, taking on Leslie Smith at the upcoming Bellator 259 event on May 21.
The fight is a rematch five years in the making with Cyborg defeating Smith via first round technical knockout (TKO) at UFC 198 in a catchweight fight of 140 pounds. The fight was Cyborg’s UFC debut. Cyborg went on to compete for UFC six more time, eventually winning the 145-pound strap before losing it to Amanda Nunes.
Eventually, Cris made her way to Bellator MMA and captured the Featherweight strap by defeating Julia Budd at Bellator 238 in Jan. 2020. After defending her title against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 249, she now looks for her second defense and win over Smith.
As for Smith, she has gone 4-1 since losing to Cyborg, which includes going 2-1 inside the Bellator cage. With five years to think about the loss to the champ, Smith is hungry for revenge and will attempt to get it in two months.
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