Leslie Smith wasn’t impressed with the referee assigned to her UFC 198 fight vs. Cris “Cyborg” Justino Saturday night.
Smith let it be known she didn’t like the stoppage immediately after it was made, and that continued during the time when Bruce Bu…
Leslie Smith wasn’t impressed with the referee assigned to her UFC 198 fight vs. Cris “Cyborg” Justino Saturday night.
Smith let it be known she didn’t like the stoppage immediately after it was made, and that continued during the time when Bruce Buffer announced Cyborg as the winner.
When she got back to the locker room, Smith remained livid, taking to social media to continue to explain:
On Saturday night, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino made her successful Octagon debut.
Cris Cyborg defeated Leslie Smith via TKO due to punches at just 1:21 of the very first round in the third fight from the top at Satur…
On Saturday night, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino made her successful Octagon debut.
Cris Cyborg defeated Leslie Smith via TKO due to punches at just 1:21 of the very first round in the third fight from the top at Saturday’s UFC 198 pay-per-view in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil.
Cyborg spoke with UFC commentator Brian Stann after the fight and stated that because she is the Invicta FC Featherweight Champion, she will continue to defend her belt, but she is also willing to take catch weight fights in the UFC.
What started out as a mere Fight Night card is now a massive PPV event that has the potential to be one of the biggest of the year. UFC 198 takes place live from Curitiba, Brazil, tonight (Sat., May 14, 2016) at the Arena de Baixada in the first soccer stadium event in UFC history.
What started out as a mere Fight Night card is now a massive PPV event that has the potential to be one of the biggest of the year. UFC 198 takes place live from Curitiba, Brazil, tonight (Sat., May 14, 2016) at the Arena de Baixada in the first soccer stadium event in UFC history.
The card features huge Brazilian names and legends such as Vitor Belfort, Shogun Rua, Demian Maia, and the UFC debut of Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino. The colossal Brazil event is headlined by a championship bout between current heavyweight king Fabricio Werdum, and top contender Stipe Miocic.
With all that being said, let’s take a look at the five crucial reasons you should watch UFC 198…
Remember back when Cris Cyborg Justino was crushing the competition outside the UFC and had serious beef with women’s bantamweight champ of the time Ronda Rousey? It wasn’t that long ago, and many believed that Justino would never join the promotion where she really belonged, as hurdles seemed to continuously present themselves at inopportune moments
Remember back when Cris Cyborg Justino was crushing the competition outside the UFC and had serious beef with women’s bantamweight champ of the time Ronda Rousey? It wasn’t that long ago, and many believed that Justino would never join the promotion where she really belonged, as hurdles seemed to continuously present themselves at inopportune moments during negotiations. For a number of reasons, including Tito Ortiz, weight, steroid allegations and the UFC’s apparent hesitance, Cyborg seemed destined to serve out her career on the fringe of the biggest MMA organization.
As they often do, circumstances in the women’s MMA scene changed overnight, with Ronda Rousey losing her title in a ground breaking KO at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 193. Fast forward two pay-per-view events and it was Holm getting slept, this time by a rampant Miesha Tate at UFC 195. Suddenly the race was wide open, no longer dominated by the wrought iron grip of ‘Rowdy.’
In a stark contrast to the events of previous years gone by, Cyborg’s weight suddenly became a moot point. Surprisingly she was signed under the media radar, with the announcement of her UFC joining coming pretty much out of the blue. 140 pounds catchweight was the agreed limit, and she’d be facing Leslie Smith in her debut at UFC 198 this weekend (Saturday May 14, 2016).
As Rousey now laid dormant in the shadows of her first professional loss, the platform was finally set for Justino’s long awaited debut, an the Invicta FC featherweight champion wouldn’t have to stray far from her preferred weight division. Although not completely doused, the flames of her feud with Rousey were beaten back considerably.
So as we await the blockbuster Brazilian-filled UFC 198 action, there’s been little talk of the rivalry between Cyborg and Rousey. Rumours have swirled about the former champion’s return, but her obligations to multiple movie contracts have put it on the backburner for the moment.
But one particular interview with Cyborg about ‘Rowdy’ is eerily accurate…