Will Cyborg Justino earn a chance at a grudge match with Ronda Rousey?

After all the constant trash talk and bad blood between Ronda Rousey and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino, we finally get to see the latter throw down…with someone not named Ronda Rousey. It’s a bit of a head scratching kind of situation, especially when you consider the fact that a story line had already been built up for Cyborg to challenge Ronda. But nevertheless, the UFC is trying to take the steps to make that fight eventually happen. Unfortunately it’s at the expense of Leslie Smith. From those words it would seem that it’s quite obvious who the pick is. But don’t jump to conclusions just yet. This is as much a breakdown as much as it is speculation on future events. Cyborg is a ferocious striker who takes no prisoners when it comes to the stand up realm. She moves forward with a ton of aggression and always keeps the pressure on her opponents. Cyborg may not have the cleanest striking technique, but her instincts usually gets he through as well as having tremendous power and subtle set ups for her strikes. Cyborg’s biggest weapon would no doubt be killer instinct. Once she has an opponent hurt she will not hesitate and finds the finish in emphatic fashion. When you look at each woman’s tool sets side by side, it would appear that Leslie Smith has more to work with. Smith is tough as nails and always willing to engage in a stand up affair. Her best work is when she fights on the inside as she is relentless with elbows and knees from the clinch as well as delivering well placed punches to the body. She has a halfway decent jab and uses front and push kicks to close the distance between her and her opponents. Smith does indeed have the tools to win here, but the biggest issue in this fight will be the weight difference as well as Cyborg’s power. Leslie usually fights at 135 lbs, but this bout will be a catchweight fight at 140. If Cyborg carries her power down with her from 145 lbs then it’s likely going to be a long night for Smith. Cyborg has good head movement and the willingness and accuracy to land a heavy salvo on Smith at any time during the bout. It’s hard to see how Smith can win this fight without striking on the outside. Unfortunately for Smith she does her best work up close and personal and it’s likely the range at which she’ll choose to fight Cyborg. Because of that a knockout in the first round for Cyborg is likely in the cards. If Cyborg does win as many are predicting will this set up a grudge match between her and Ronda Rousey? Will it earn her a title shot in the Batamweight division? Let us know what you think. Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.