Crisitane Justino, a.k.a Cyborg, is perhaps women’s mixed-martial arts’ (MMA) answer to Jon Jones.
Justino is a Brazilian MMA. She is presently the Invicta FC World Featherweight Champion. She recently signed with the Universal Fighting Championship (UFC) and made her successful debut on Sunday at UFC 198 by knocking out Leslie Smith in the first round, thereby sending a clear and loud message to the rest of the UFC women’s featherweight division.
Justino has difficulty going down to as low as 135 pounds, so for this fight. Both parties were amenable to the 140-pound catch weight. If there’s one chink in her armor, it is her difficulty making 135 lbs.
Justino won the women’s Strikeforce title in 2009 by knocking out Gina Carano in the first round.
Justino is excellent in both stand up and on the ground. Fourteen of her 16 wins were by knockout. She is a Brazilian jiu jitsu purple belt holder so with Justino, you pick your poison either standing or on the ground.
For this fight, she worked with a nutritionist so the results were obvious.
Asked about the fight, the ESPN MMA web site quotes Justino as saying: “There is nothing better, I am very happy and I got in there very calm,” Justino said. “I didn’t push hard and I studied more. Many people who have followed me since the beginning were waiting for me to come to UFC. I admire Leslie for coming here, because she made my dream come true.”
Who’s next for Justino? UFC women’s featherweight champion Miesha Tate, and former champions Holly Holm and Ronda Rousey. They say styles make fights, and in my opinion, Holm against Justino would make a great fight. Both fighters are excellent stand up pugilists and Holm can hold her own on the ground.
Justino is arguably the best pound-for-pound women’s MMA fighter in world—in a catch weight or any weight class but 135. A fight against Tate would be interesting. If her nutritionist could work wonders and allow her to fight well at 135, then the rest of the division better watch out.
After her win, Justino said she doesn’t want to call out Rousey because it was her moment. In my opinion, Justino could beat any of the three fighters. Among the three, I think Holm could give her a bit of a problem because Holm is a striker like her.
It will be an interesting next few months in the world of women’s MMA.