‘Cyborg’ Justino to make Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in UFC 198

After years of rumors and speculation, former Strikeforce champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino will finally make her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut May 14.

Justino will take on Leslie Smith when the organization hosts UFC 198 in Justino’s native Curitiba, Brazil. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 140 pounds, UFC announced Monday.

Justino, the Invicta Fighting Championships featherweight champion, is one of the most powerful strikers in women’s mixed martial arts. She was the 145-pound champion in Strikeforce and was long seen as the biggest potential threat to former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Justino, however, has been hesitant to attempt to cut weight to 135 pounds, the largest weight class for women in the UFC.

It is not yet known whether the catchweight bout will serve as a test for Justino to see whether she can make a further cut, but unlike Rousey, former champion Holly Holm and new champ Miesha Tate have at least publicly expressed a willingness to meet Justino at 140.

Justino, 30, has not lost an MMA bout since her professional debut in 2005. She has recorded knockouts in 13 of her 15 victories, including eight in the first round. All five of her wins in Invicta have come by knockout.

Smith has won two of her last three in the UFC and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Rin Nakai on March 20.

UFC 198 is headlined by a heavyweight title bout between Stipe Miocic and champion Fabricio Werdum. It also includes middleweight bouts pitting Vitor Belfort and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Uriah Hall against former champion Anderson Silva.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj