Lansberg: I have nothing to lose, so I am calm

The good news – you just got offered a UFC contract. Bad news – you have to make your debut vs. Cris ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

On Saturday Lina Lansberg fights the best fighter in women’s MMA, in the capital of Cyborg’s home country, in the main event of UFC Fight Night 95. Cyborg has won every fight by KO for eight years, and won her last four fights in eight minutes combined. And it is Lansberg’s UFC debut.

The Swede lost her first MMA fight, but won the next six. The odds against her are as high as +825. A normal fighter might not feel in a calm, dream come true state, but Lansberg does.

Of course I wanted the fight, she said to Ben Fowlkes for MMAjunkie. It’s not the ordinary fight in the UFC, but it’s still a dream fight. Everyone wants a fight like that, or at least I do.

I have more than 80 fights in Thai boxing. I have been there before. I fought Valentina Shevchenko in the world championship final many years ago. That was exactly what happened, just like this. I’ve been there before, and I think the experience is what’s going to make the difference..

Normally when you fight somebody, you worry because you think that you really need to beat them, and if you lose it’s going to look really, really bad. That’s the situation that Cris has. That’s more disturbing, and it makes you more nervous. Me, I have nothing to lose. I really feel that, and it makes me very calm.

Lina Lanberg fights Cris Cyborg in the main event of UFC Fight Night 95 on September 24, 2016 at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasília, Brazil.