It may have looked like a cakewalk for Cristiane Justino against Yana Kunitskaya at UFC 222, but that’s not how “Cyborg” prepared.
“I was ready for five rounds, and I didn’t know what Yana was going to do in the fight,” Justino said in a backstage interview on UFC.com. “But I was prepared for everything. I always think it’s going to be more rounds. I’m really happy with this fight.”
Justino barely broke a sweat in her second successful title defense, as she rocked Kunitskaya with her first punch of the fight, weathered an early takedown attempt and ultimately overwhelmed the Russian with heavy hands for a technical knockout victory at the 3:25 mark of round one. The 34-year-old Brazilian improved to 5-0 in the UFC, and only Holly Holm has been able to make it to the final bell against the Chute Boxe representative.
Before Justino agreed to face Kunitskaya on short notice to give UFC 222 a championship headliner following Max Holloway’s withdrawal from the c…