Twitter Reacts as Cris Cyborg Destroys Leslie Smith at Bellator 259

Bellator MMA champion, Cris Cyborg, earned her third-straight win in the promotion. Cyborg, who put forth a brutal beating on Leslie Smith throughout the fight, secured a fifth-round TKO to retain her title. ‘The Peacemaker’ showed insane levels of toughness right until the fight was about to reach the final horn.

With just nine seconds left on the clock, Cyborg secured her maiden round five finish as a professional fighter. Over the course of the fight, she dropped Smith frequently. Hence, the fight-ending sequence may not have come as a surprise.

Regardless of the stoppage, Cris Cyborg would have cruised to one of the most comfortable wins of her career.

Also Read: Who’s Leon Edwards’ Brother, Bellator Middleweight Fabian Edwards?

Bellator 259: Cris Cyborg vs Leslie Smith

The early moments of the fight saw Cyborg start off with a high-pressure pace that she’s shown can be sustained for a long-time. At one point early on in the fight, she even landed a suplex, showing how comfortable she was against Smith. Cyborg stayed behind her jab and continued to pressure ‘The Peacemaker’, who didn’t have a proper answer.

As the fight played on, it became clear that things were not trending in a positive direction for Leslie Smith. Cris Cyborg’s output increased, and the power behind her shots also seemed to be picking up steam. Chiefly, the narrative quickly shifted to how tough Leslie Smith was to endure such a vicious beat down from the former UFC champion.

By the end of the fight, Cris Cyborg, who had thrown around 337 strikes, landed roughly 174 of them. Smith only landed 38 strikes out of 172 thrown right up till the point Cyborg stopped her via TKO. What’s more, Cyborg was 7/7 on her takedowns. Hence, it was clear that she had left no doubts in the rematch.

Fans and fighters alike were excited to see Cyborg take on some of the heavy hitters in women’s MMA like Kayla Harrison. Moreover, given her dominant performances, a rematch against Amanda Nunes is also something on the cards.

Following her win over Smith, Cris Cyborg took to the mic and called out Cat Zingano for her next fight. What did you make of the Brazilian fighter’s win?