Cris Cyborg defeats Leslie Smith by knockout and retains belt at Bellator 259

C. Cyborg successfully defends the Bellator featherweight belt. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

The seasons have changed, but the result of the struggle between Chris Cyborg and Leslie Smith has not changed. In a rematch of a fight held in 2016, the Brazilian knocked out a brave North American in the fifth round and managed to retain, for the second time, the featherweight belt (up to 65,7kg). The duel was the main attraction of the Bellator 259 this Friday (21).

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With the result, Cyborg extends his streak of 24 career victories – 19 of which were by knockout. The Brazilian now has a record of 24 positive results, two negative results and one fight without result.

On the other hand, Leslie Smith encountered her ninth setback. She also has 12 wins and one draw.

THE FIGHT

The fight started with Chris Cyborg cornering Leslie Smith against the fence in his signature style. The Brazilian also worked a sequence of jabs and straight shots against the North American, who withstood the initial pressure. Cyborg continued to dominate the actions and, in a new combination, took down Smith and took a stance to score. Cris gave up the position and remained standing, but applied a beautiful suplex to pin Leslie to the ground. The challenger managed to elevate the fight and tried to take down the champion, but was unsuccessful in the attempt.

Unlike the first round, Leslie Smith 'marched forward' and started working good blows on the waistline of Chris Cyborg. The Brazilian, who appeared to adopt a different strategy, managed her attacks and worked on the waistline. That was actually how it made the North American feel and retreat. Cyborg went up and got the takedown, but couldn't knock him out.

In the third round, Smith took the initiative and kicked at Cyborg's waist. The Brazilian, however, got revenge and took down the North American, even though she was unable to progress in the position. Standing, Leslie kept her distance and worked other jabs that touched Cris's face. In response, the champion played a direct match and unbalanced the challenger in the final minutes.

The fourth round was marked by a lot of action between the combatants. Chris Cyborg He started investing in high kicks and cornered Leslie Smith, who didn't give up and was also able to respond to the Brazilian's attacks. The two started to engage in frank exchanges, with the champion still being superior. At one point, she even landed a straight shot that knocked the American back down. On top, she still had time to move to the 100kg position and ended the round with a bang.

Like the other rounds, the fight continued with high intensity in the last round. Chris Cyborg crossed two high kicks that stopped at the base of Leslie Smith. Soon after, the Brazilian wasted no time in taking down the North American and even threw a few elbows on top before the fight returned to the feet. In the last seconds, the champion managed to land another right that hit her opponent and took a stance to land countless punches before the referee interrupted.

Bellator 259 results

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