Bellator 259: Nine seconds was not enough for 38-year-old American Leslie Smith to create a local sensation and become the second fighter in history to stand against the formidable Cris Cyborg for five rounds.
The women’s featherweight title fight, topping Bellator 259, was stopped at 4:51 in the final round after the 35-year-old Brazilian shocked her opponent with a right hand and a powerful finishing move.
Bellator 259
During the Cris fight, Cyborg threw out more than three hundred punches, half of which hit the target, but Leslie Smith showed enviable resilience, kept her cool, and in some places even tried to go forward and put pressure on the reigning Bellator champion.
The women’s fight became a rematch – in May 2016, Cris Cyborg successfully debuted under the UFC banner, finishing Leslie Smith by TKO already in the 81st second of the match.
Note that the only fighter to lose to the Brazilian in five rounds is former UFC champion Holly Holm, who in 2017 lost to Cyborg by unanimous decision in a 25-minute confrontation.
In the event’s second-biggest event, Leandro Higo revanched an early defeat three years ago by defeating former Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell by split decision.
Bellator 259
Among the other results of the event, we note the successful debut in the organization of the Russian lightweight Alexander Shabliy, who, following the results of three rounds, won by unanimous decision with a score of 30-27 three times against Briton Alfie Davis.