Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino is one of the most feared women in all mixed martial arts. Her ferocious striking and indomitable will to win have seen Justino win belts for Invicta and the now defunct Strikeforce, as well as a number of grappling accolades and also crossover victories in Muay Thai. For
Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino is one of the most feared women in all mixed martial arts. Her ferocious striking and indomitable will to win have seen Justino win belts for Invicta and the now defunct Strikeforce, as well as a number of grappling accolades and also crossover victories in Muay Thai. For a long time Cyborg stood on the fringe of the UFC women’s scene, looking in as Ronda Rousey dominated both the competition inside the octagon, and the headlines outside of the arena of combat.
What a difference a few months makes. Following Rousey’s shocking loss to Holly Holm at UFC 193, the WMMA scene in the UFC was turned on it’s head, and before ink had hit paper for Justino’s first UFC fight, the bantamweight title would change hands again. This time it was Miesha Tate who would shock the world, choking ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ out cold at UFC 195, ousting Holm as champion in her first attempted defense of the strap.
Finally it was announced that Cris Cyborg would be joining the UFC, her Invicta 145-pound belt still intact as she plans to defend it still, and she’ll be facing Leslie Smith at this weekend’s stacked UFC 198 event. It’s perhaps not the blockbuster fight we were all wishing for in Cyborg’s debut, but according to Justino herself, that’s a case of old habits dying hard.
Speaking with FOX Sports recently, Cris Cyborg lays out he plans for a future featherweight division in the UFC, and also says there are still a number of fighters running from a fight with her.
“This always happens in my career,” Justino told FOX Sports about the fighters who refuse to face her. “I know Leslie is a real fighter and she accepted this fight. I think you have a lot of fighters now who are fighters, but they don’t like to challenge themselves. Leslie wants to challenge herself and she’s willing to go up to fight me.
“I appreciate her and it’s a great fight. You cannot choose who you fight. You just have to be ready to fight anyone….
We’ve got more on page 2, including Cyborg’s sparring session with a young fan at the UFC 198 open workouts yesterday…
In the third episode of UFC 198 “Embedded,” we catch up on Mother’s Day activities for Cris “Cyborg” Justino ahead of her Octagon debut.
Justino meets Leslie Smith this Saturday night from Brazil.
Also, Corey Anderson and Vitor Belfort arrive in …
In the third episode of UFC 198 “Embedded,” we catch up on Mother’s Day activities for Cris “Cyborg” Justino ahead of her Octagon debut.
Justino meets Leslie Smith this Saturday night from Brazil.
Also, Corey Anderson and Vitor Belfort arrive in the country to begin work on their respective fights vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
In the third episode of UFC 198 “Embedded,” we catch up on Mother’s Day activities for Cris “Cyborg” Justino ahead of her Octagon debut.
Justino meets Leslie Smith this Saturday night from Brazil.
Also, Corey Anderson and Vitor Belfort arrive in …
In the third episode of UFC 198 “Embedded,” we catch up on Mother’s Day activities for Cris “Cyborg” Justino ahead of her Octagon debut.
Justino meets Leslie Smith this Saturday night from Brazil.
Also, Corey Anderson and Vitor Belfort arrive in the country to begin work on their respective fights vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
During a recent media scrum ahead of her Octagon debut against Leslie Smith at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil this Saturday, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino spoke about former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm’s decision to turn down a fight against her.
“People say what they want in interviews, but when they get a contract they say other things,” Cyborg said of Holm’s decision. “I think it’s business. She wants to fight for the belt first. She’s coming off a loss and wants to get a win back. I guess that’s her team’s plan.”
Cyborg continued, “She had a fight coming up and asked if she could train with me. She went to my gym and we sparred. It was more like boxing with takedowns. It was cool. She said that I helped her get confident for her fight.”
“They are different fighters,” Cyborg said of Holm and Smith. “Holly Holm was a boxer for a long time and Leslie Smith comes from muay thai. It’s different. Holly is more defensive, while Leslie comes forward.”
Regarding her UFC debut against Smith, Cyborg made it clear that she expects to finish her opponent.
“I always train to fight five rounds, and this is a three-round fight. I have three rounds to finish the fight,” said Cyborg. “Leslie is a good fighter with a big heart. When I heard I was going to fight her I knew it would be good, maybe the fight of the night. She won’t run away, and it’s going to be a great fight.”
Headlined by Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship and featuring Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith, UFC 198 takes place on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from Curitiba, Brazil.
Make sure to join us here at MMANews.com this Saturday for the best UFC 198 live results coverage on the web!
During a recent media scrum ahead of her Octagon debut against Leslie Smith at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil this Saturday, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino spoke about former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm’s decision to turn down a fight against her.
“People say what they want in interviews, but when they get a contract they say other things,” Cyborg said of Holm’s decision. “I think it’s business. She wants to fight for the belt first. She’s coming off a loss and wants to get a win back. I guess that’s her team’s plan.”
Cyborg continued, “She had a fight coming up and asked if she could train with me. She went to my gym and we sparred. It was more like boxing with takedowns. It was cool. She said that I helped her get confident for her fight.”
“They are different fighters,” Cyborg said of Holm and Smith. “Holly Holm was a boxer for a long time and Leslie Smith comes from muay thai. It’s different. Holly is more defensive, while Leslie comes forward.”
Regarding her UFC debut against Smith, Cyborg made it clear that she expects to finish her opponent.
“I always train to fight five rounds, and this is a three-round fight. I have three rounds to finish the fight,” said Cyborg. “Leslie is a good fighter with a big heart. When I heard I was going to fight her I knew it would be good, maybe the fight of the night. She won’t run away, and it’s going to be a great fight.”
Headlined by Fabricio Werdum vs. Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship and featuring Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith, UFC 198 takes place on Saturday, May 14, 2016 from Curitiba, Brazil.
Make sure to join us here at MMANews.com this Saturday for the best UFC 198 live results coverage on the web!
