Now a member of Bellator’s featherweight division, Leslie Smith finds herself in the thick of the title hunt.
She’s only 1-1 since joining the promotion last July, but given her reputation and the relatively thin contenders’ line at 145 pounds, Smith is likely one or two wins away from a rematch with champion Cris Cyborg (it was Smith who welcomed Cyborg to the UFC four years ago, losing to Cyborg by first-round TKO).
MMA Fighting spoke to Smith prior to her most recent booking at Bellator 241—an event that was postponed amid concerns about the coronavirus—where she was supposed to fight the streaking Jessy Miele, with the winner presumably moving up the rankings.