Sherdog’s Top 10: Greatest Bellator MMA Fighters

8. Cristiane Justino

“Cris Cyborg” is unique for two reasons. Firstly, she is the only woman to make the Top 10. Secondly and more interestingly, she has by far the fewest fights in the promotion of anyone here, having notched a perfect 5-0 mark since joining Bellator. By contrast, the second-fewest number of fights in the promotion for an inclusion is nine. And yet, one can't ask more of “Cyborg” than what she has done. She began her time in the promotion with her biggest win, defeating long-time Bellator featherweight queen Julia Budd, whom I had as the 10th greatest female ever pound-for-pound, via fourth-round knockout. It was a sensational triumph, especially as Budd fought the best she ever has and Justino still finished her. “Cyborg” has defended her title four times, with two wins over very tough challenger and skilled striker Arlene Blencowe, once by the first submission of her career and the rematch by easy decision. She also had a brutal 92-second knockout of Irish striker Sinead Kavanagh and beat up Leslie Smith in a rematch of their UFC bout, stopping her in the fifth stanza. In terms of ability, Justino possesses underrated grappling skills, with solid wrestling and BJJ, while being exceptionally hard to take or keep down herself. However, her main skill is her phenomenal seek-and-destroy muay thai striking, which calls to mind the golden days of Chute Boxe, drawing comparisons to Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua. It's hard to see her much higher on this list even with more title defenses given the lack of competition at featherweight, and at 37 years old and with a growing interest in boxing, with her last two appearances being wins in that sport, she may not be around for much longer. Still, she has left a mark in Bellator already as its greatest female fighter ever, surpassing Budd, Ilima Lei-MacFarlane and Liz Carmouche, among other fine champions.

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