By Duane Finley

For the better part of the past decade Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino has been the most destructive force in women’s MMA. The string of battered opposition she’s left in her wake, and highlight reel knockouts Justino has compiled have made the Brazilian powerhouse an enigma to be feared.

And rightfully so, but that’s not how Leslie Smith sees the situation.

The gritty veteran fully acknowledges the dangers Justino will present inside the cage, but the opportunity to throw hands with one of the most heralded competitors in the sport wasn’t one the El Nino Training Center representative was going to pass up.

Justino is set to make her long-awaited arrival to the sport’s biggest stage at UFC 198, and Smith intends to give “Cyborg” hell in her Octagon debut.

“My excitement for this fight has kept me driven and motivated every step of the way,” Smith said. “I’ve been watching her fight for a long time. I remember watching her fight Gina Carano and I said, ‘Man, I would fight her.’ The people watching with me were all looking at me like I was crazy but that’s the entire reason I fight.

“Why wouldn’t someone want to fight her? It’s a matchup I’ve always wanted and to have it materialize all these years later is a very exciting thing.”

Yet, where Smith jumped at the chance to fight Justino and welcome her to the UFC stage, that type of eagerness has been missing from many of her peers. Of this collective, former UFC golden girl Ronda Rousey takes center stage as the Olympic bronze medalist has done everything in her power to avoid facing the heavy-handed wrecking machine from Curitiba.

Rousey dropped down a weight class to avoid a collision under the Strikeforce banner then publicly campaigned against Justino with the help of UFC brass once the doors to the Octagon were to her. Smith not only found Rousey’s tactics to be strange for a woman claiming to be a pound-for-pound great, but believes Rousey set a bad precedent in the process.

“Ronda has really set a poor example by not wanting to fight Cyborg,” Smith said. “In a way, by not accepting this fight, she’s made it somewhat acceptable for others to avoid the fight as well. I just don’t understand how someone can go home and go to sleep thinking they are the best in the world without wanting to fight the best. That doesn’t make sense to me.

“Miesha [Tate] said she would fight [Justino]. She said that way before she had the belt, and to me that’s what it’s all about in my opinion.”

Although Smith may not understand the mindset of her fellow fighters ducking away from the type of challenge facing Justino will bring, that hasn’t jaded her own motivations in the slightest.

The 33-year-old Californian took up the sport to find out what she’s made of, and in her mind, there couldn’t possibly be a better test of her personal mettle than the former Strikeforce champion. Smith knows Justino is going to come forward with her berserker style from the opening bell, and she plans to meet the fabled Chute Boxe product with an equal amount of violence.

“I really believe I can beat her,” Smith said. “She’s not a machine. She’s a human being and we are all fallible and have weaknesses. I know this fight is certainly going to be a chance to show off my chin, but it will also allow me to showcase my tenacity and my willingness to engage.

“I have nothing to lose and that makes me dangerous,” she added. “People who have nothing to lose are the ones who are going to fight the hardest.”

Taking Justino’s domination inside the cage, and the mystique that surrounds her into account, many of her past opponents have been mentally defeated before the first punch was thrown. It’s the female equivalent of the “Mike Tyson Effect”, as Justino’s put away power has been the closest thing to resemble “Iron Mike’s” run of brutality in the mid-80’s.

Smith isn’t intimidated by Justino, instead she’s inspired to get to business with the former Invicta champion.

“So many people have lost the mental battle with her in the lead up to the fight, but that’s not the case with me,” Smith said. “One of the interesting things about this fight is even though she has a few more fights than I do, I’ve spent more time fighting inside of the cage than her. I have more experience because my fights have gone longer, and I’ve had to reassess things and adjust my game plan.

“That’s a skill which comes from experience. I’ve learned how to overcome adversity and rally back to win a fight by making changes.”

Even though Smith will enter the bout against Justino at UFC 198 on May 14 a heavy underdog, she’s found a silver lining in the scenario. Not only will all the focus be on Justino’s ability to make a successful UFC debut, but fans and critics will be expecting her to make short work out of Smith, and do so in sensational fashion.

Furthermore, the fight is not only on Justino’s native soil of Brazil, but in the very city she grew up in. All of these factors add up to be a pressure-filled situation according to Smith, which will only serves to heighten the angle she’s approaching the bout from as well.

“All the pressure is on her,” Smith said. “Not only is this her first fight in the UFC and at 140 [pounds], but it’s also in her hometown. She’s from Curitiba and that’s only going to bring more eyes on her. I’m coming from a place where I have nothing to lose. If it makes it past the first round she’s already going to have lost in the majority of people’s minds.

“As soon as I make her take one step back that is already a victory for me. Let’s face it...the odds are not in my favor here. I’m a severe underdog in this fight, but any and every little thing that happens will be a victory for me, and i’m going to use that momentum and turn it into an avalanche.”