Cris Cyborg Set To Face Leslie Smith at UFC 198

Cris Cyborg will finally fight for the UFC. Today UFC.com announced in an official statement that the Brazilian star will make her Octagon debut at UFC 198 on May 14th against Leslie Smith.

The bout will take place at a 140lbs catchweight.

The full statement reads as follows.

“One of the most feared fighters in the world is finally making her way to the Octagon, as Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino faces Leslie Smith at UFC 198 on May 14.

The bout, which takes place at Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil, will be held at a catchweight of 140 pounds.

A native of Curitiba, the 30-year-old Justino (15-1, 1 NC) is unbeaten for over 10 years, and with 13 of her 15 pro wins coming by knockout, it’s not surprising that she has soared to the top of every organization she has competed in. Owner of victories over Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen (twice), and Shayna Baszler, the former Strikeforce champion has compiled a 5-0 record with five knockouts as a member of the Invicta FC roster.

A former Invicta FC standout in her own right thanks to three Fight of the Night awards and wins over Raquel Pennington and Jennifer Maia, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (8-6-1) is a fearless competitor who is well prepared for the biggest fight of her career this May. Winner of two of her last three over Jessamyn Duke and Rin Nakai, the 33-year-old Californian eagerly anticipates a fight to remember against “Cyborg.”

In the UFC 198 main event, Fabricio Werdum defends his UFC heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic. In the co-main event, it’s an All-Brazil battle as Vitor Belfort faces Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and also featured on the card is a middleweight matchup between Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall and a light heavyweight bout pitting Mauricio “Shogun” Rua against Corey Anderson.”