Cris “Cyborg” Justino has waited a long time to have the words “UFC fighter” next to her name. Yet unlike some who play it cool in the lead up to such a monumental career moment, she is not downplaying her Octagon debut against Leslie Smith this Saturday, a UFC 198 bout that just happens to be taking place in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil.
“Every day when I run in the morning, I think about my fight, all my fans, the crowd,” she said. “This is with me every day now.”
The excitement is clear in her voice, simply because this was something that may not have ever become a reality.