On the main card of the UFC 198 PPV Cris ‘Cyborg’ Justino made her long awaited UFC debut and did so emphatically with a first round TKO of Leslie Smith.
Round 1 – Justino takes the center. Smith circling. Right hand lands for Justino. She’s walking froward and delivers a low kick. Justino with a right to the body. Justino patient as she sets. There’s the opening. Two punches land, and Smith is hurt. She falls to the floor and starts to cover. Justino jumps on top and starts to unload punches. Smith trying to roll, but Eduard steps in and calls it off. Smith not happy with the stoppage.
source: mmajunkie.com
Official Result: Cristiane Justino defeated Leslie Smith by TKO (Punches, Round 1, 1:21)
As soon as the fight ended, fans, fighters, and the media reacted with praise for Cyborg who lived up to all her hype in her UFC Octagon debut:
About time watching @criscyborg in the @ufc. All hail the queen!
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 15, 2016
Cyborg came to bang, some smooth combinations
— Michael Johnson (@Menace155) May 15, 2016
Ouch!!!
— Rose Namajunas (@rosenamajunas) May 15, 2016
"No." – Rest of the UFC women's roster
— Dann Stupp (@DannStupp) May 15, 2016
Poor girl never stood a chance
— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 15, 2016
This fight at UFC 198 was fought at a catchweight of 140 lbs. and Cyborg’s future in the UFC is still unclear. In her post-fight interview in the Octagon and later on Fox Sports she was non-commital about her future. She said she would like to defend her Invicta FC featherweight title and would like to do more catchweight fights in the UFC.
She did not say whether or not she would try to fight in the UFC’s bantamweight division.
