Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino finally made her UFC debut, and while it wasn't against the opponent everyone once expected, she delivered a predictable result. Cyborg defeated Leslie Smith via first-round TKO at UFC 198.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports tweeted out the official result:
Time of the finish is 1:21 of the first round. Cyborg by TKO #UFC198
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) May 15, 2016
Cyborg wasted no time pushing the pace that she wanted. From the opening bell she measured her distance with crisp combinations and didn't take long to get comfortable.
A comfortable Cris Cyborg is a dangerous Cris Cyborg. Her devastating power and speed were on display. A left-right hook combination put Smith on the mat and allowed Cyborg to finish with strikes on the ground.
Cyborg's UFC debut now opens the door for some exciting possibilities. Winning this fight wasn't news. The real news is that she's finally in the UFC after spending the vast majority of her career in Strikeforce and then Invicta. Smith should be given credit for showing up to take the fight, but at 8-6-1 heading in, she was a massive underdog.
However, mystery still remains around what the organization's long-term plans for her are.
This fight was contested at a catchweight of 140 pounds. To fight for the women's bantamweight title, the Brazilian would have to cut all the way down to 135 pounds. According to Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, the catchweight was difficult even though she got down to 139:
A breeze no more. I'm told Cyborg had 3.5 lbs to cut as of this AM, but it's been a struggle. Curious how she looks at the weigh-in now.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 13, 2016
The truth is Cyborg's most intriguing fight probably isn't for the title.
For a long time there has been a rivalry between former UFC champion Ronda Rousey and Cyborg. With Justino making her organizational debut, that fight is one step closer to becoming a reality. The recent addition to the UFC is hoping it's a fight that will again happen at 140 pounds, per Mike Bohn of Rolling Stone:
I think she would be a great opponent for me and maybe she can do something because she always saying, 'I want to fight 'Cyborg,'' but said I had to come to her when she was the champ. She's not the champ so we can meet halfway. It's not for ego or nothing. It's for the fans. It'll be a nice fight.
Then there's the question of exactly when Rousey will make her return to the Octagon. Rousey hasn't fought since losing the title to Holly Holm in November.
According to MMAjunkie, UFC President Dana White has targeted UFC 205 on November 12 in New York as a possible return date for the champion. However, nothing has been announced.
Even if Rousey comes back, it would make sense that she would first want to fight for her title. Alternatively, she might want to avenge her loss to Holm.
Regardless of what Rousey and the UFC decide to do, the division just got a new contender, and the rest of the it should be put on notice.
For a division that had a pecking order that was clearly Rousey then everyone else, women's bantamweight has become a lot more intriguing over the last year.
Potential fights against Miesha Tate and Holm are just as interesting in the cage as one with Rousey, albeit with less drama outside it.
With Cyborg now in the fold, fans have a lot more reason to keep an eye on the women's bantamweight division. If Cyborg can figure out her weight issues, she's undoubtedly a major threat to become the champion of the division.
