How Leslie Smith got the 'Cyborg' fight, all thanks to a koala sanctuary

UFC women’s bantamweight Leslie Smith was enjoying herself in Australia when she found out about a potential career-making fight against Cristiane Justino at UFC 198.

Smith had just outpointed Rin Nakai at UFC Fight Night 85, improving her promotional record to 2-2, and she was in Brisbane to soak up some sun before heading back to her home in Pleasant Hill, Calif.

She and her boyfriend decided to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which also hosts kangaroos, Tasmanian devils and dingos, among other wildlife unique to Australia. As it happened, UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby was also there.

When Shelby told Smith the Invicta FC women’s featherweight champ had signed with the UFC and was headed to the octagon, she informed him she had previously sparred with Justino. Shelby asked how that went.

“Pretty good,” she said.

“Well, would you want the fight?” she remembers of his casual response.

As quickly as that, she was in the running. After consulting with her boyfriend and her longtime coach, Cesar Gracie, the consensus was that it was a fantastic opportunity.

From the reaction to the bout’s announcement on Monday, many might agree it’s an opportunity, but one that might leave her badly injured. Those aren’t the people Smith (8-6-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) will be fighting for when she meets Justino (15-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight bout at the May 14 pay-per-view event at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.

“Man, this is the kind of opponent that I dream about,” Smith told MMAjunkie. “This is the whole reason someone gets into martial arts, so they can find someone who’s the best in the world, challenge them and then come out on top. That’s the reason I’m doing this.”

When she gave her interview, she had just finished training and had yet to check her social media accounts. But she got a taste of the reception from fans and observers even before she got on the phone.

Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino

One of the main points of the interview was to respond to the many messages of “poor Leslie” that quickly surfaced online after the bout was announced.

Before this, Smith thought her main job would be to discourage her followers from posting disparaging comments about Justino, a fighter she deeply admires, and yes, once traded punches with in a training environment.

Justino, after all, is a popular target on Twitter and on message boards because of the way she looks and because of a 2012 positive steroid test, among other things. No less than UFC President Dana White once mocked her openly, saying she looked like “Wanderlei Silva in a dress.” He later toned down the rhetoric as a potential UFC superfight between Justino and now ex-women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey picked up steam.

Smith was, and is, bracing herself for the worst.

“I guess I just know MMA fans, so there’s a good chance I’m going to see some of that,” she said.

In the weeks to come, she can expect to see more online doubters and to hear more questions from people who may or may not have already written her off as a serious opponent for Justino.

After all, the Invicta FC champ has laid waste to all but one of her MMA opponents after overwhelming them early with savage punches that leave them bloodied.

Smith, though, is no stranger to a bit of carnage. Before she beat Nakai, she fought Jessica Eye until her bloody ear was nearly severed and the referee was forced to call off the bout.

What’s more, she is never shy about sharing her opinion or firing back at detractors. She doesn’t want anyone’s pity or concern over her decision to take the fight.

“If people are going to come at me in whatever way, that’s on them,” she said. “That’s their perception, and if they’re going to be doing this whole ‘Oh, poor Leslie, you have to go in the cage with ‘Cyborg,’’ I’m probably not going to talk to them because that’s not anything I need. That’s pretty much a guaranteed way to get me to not interact with you.

“If they want to come at me like that, they can just stay at home on their couch and keep writing whatever the heck it is they want to write while eating their potato chips. I’m over here busting my ass to make this the most impressive fight. Shoot, this is going to be ‘Fight of the Night.’ This is going to be the most exciting women’s fight of the decade.”

While the fight was being negotiated, Smith made it a point to text Justino and say she wanted the matchup not because of any grudge, but because she is a professional and wants to fight the best.

Smith said Justino gave her “a huge boost of confidence” when they trained together at Justino’s gym. She repeatedly praised the Brazilian fighter’s abilities and was conscious of not badmouthing her. Yet she chuckled at the idea she is a sacrificial lamb.

“‘Cyborg’ is beatable,” Smith said. “She’s super beatable. She’s not a machine. She’s a person, and any person that walks into a cage, there’s a way to beat them. And that’s going to be my job for the next six weeks, to figure out the gameplan to beat her.”

“These aren’t digs at all,” she added. “It’s just saying there are openings for everybody. I’m going to find the openings.”

Smith has fought from 125 pounds up to 145 pounds and notes she feels stronger as a heavier fighter. She said she knows what it’s like to fight lighter than her natural class, which career featherweight Justino is doing on a very high-profile stage.

Before Smith came along, Justino and her reps were pushing hard for a 140-pound catchweight bout against Rousey. When that didn’t materialize, she sketched out a plan to drop to 135 pounds and was signed to a UFC deal that would green-light the superfight if she were able to make the weight. When Rousey suffered a knockout loss to Holly Holm this past November, however, she scuttled that idea and said she would instead target 140 pounds.

Smith said her fight with Justino doesn’t signify a desire to compete in a heavier weight class. Instead, it’s merely about fighting the best.

So far, she notes, the only time anyone has stopped her is due to a “stupid ear.” She doesn’t expect that to change against Justino.

On Monday, White defended Smith in response to a fan who thought the promotion was setting her up for an “easy win” and hoped the strategy didn’t backfire.

“(Smith) is the only one that wanted to fight Cyborg,” the UFC executive responded on Twitter. “Leslie begged for it. #respect”

Informed of White’s message, Smith responded, “You’re damn right I begged.”

For more on UFC 198, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.