‘I Have Five Rounds to Finish the Fight’ – Cris Cyborg Looking for a Violent Finish Against Leslie Smith at Bellator 259

Published 05/20/2021, 1:55 PM EDT

Bellator MMA has a fantastic fight coming up for MMA fans. Bellator 259 pay-per-view being headlined by a women’s featherweight title fight between Leslie Smith and the champion, Cris Cyborg. This will be their second fight after Cyborg decimated Smith in the first round when they first met.

Cyborg spoke with MMAFighting.com to talk about this event and said that her mindset was different now. She exclaimed that both she and her opponent Smith had grown as fighters from their last fight and that this will be a different fight.

.@CrisCyborg says fans can expect "a lot of violence" against Leslie Smith at #Bellator259:
"She's a tough girl… You guys should get excited to watch this fight.”
Watch full interview: https://t.co/eBxuMvAgWW pic.twitter.com/qsMwNo0ohA
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) May 20, 2021

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The interviewer, Mike Heck, asked Cyborg how she can be better in this fight after her unstoppable victory in their last fight. Cyborg said that she believes that she has more time to find a finish this time around. “I feel like in my mind I have five rounds to finish the fight,” she said.

“I know it’s my division, but the last time I was cutting weight, I didn’t know if I could handle all the rounds. So, it’s (a) different mindset for the fight. Now I know I have five rounds to finish the fight,” she added. Cyborg has had a history of weight cutting issues in the past and will try her best not to let it be a factor this time around.

However, she hasn’t ruled out a quick finish either. “The first thing I think is (a) different mindset, but if you finish it fast, it’s going to be perfect too. I’m ready for all five rounds,” she concluded. This is Cyborg’s second title defense after she won the title against Julia Budd in her first match for the organization.

Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith 1: A perfect performance

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Cyborg’s first match against Smith happened at UFC 198. It was her debut fight with the UFC, and she came out all guns blazing. In the second minute of the first round, the fight was over after she finished Smith with punches on the ground.

Leslie Smith has definitely gotten better since then and has more to show than that torrid display. The fans will expect a good striking battle to ensue between the two of them and see one fighter come out on top. It will be an amazing match.

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Do you think Leslie Smith can beat Cris Cyborg?

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Aniket Awasthi is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. This STEM undergraduate combines an insatiable urge to write with his admiration for MMA and the UFC in general to enhance his journalism. He calls charismatic names like Chael Sonnen and 'The Count' Michael Bisping as his favorite fighters, but he is a great admirer of the rise of Israel Adesanya ever since he fought Rob Wilkinson at UFC 221.

‘I Have Five Rounds to Finish the Fight’ – Cris Cyborg Looking for a Violent Finish Against Leslie Smith at Bellator 259

Cris Cyborg vs. Leslie Smith 1: A perfect performance

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