BELLATOR MMA 259AIRS LIVE ON FRIDAY, MAY 21 FROM MOHEGAN SUN ARENA

Los Angeles– BELLATOR MMA and SHOWTIME Sports today announcedBELLATOR MMA 259 i runga i te Paraire, Kia 21, will be headlined by a featherweight championship rematch pitting current 145-pound titleholder and the top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighterCris “Cyborg” (23-2, 1 NC) against Northern California’sLeslie Smith (12-8-1). The event airs live exclusively on SHOWTIMEi 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT and emanates from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Hei taapiri ki te kaupapa nui, two matchups are confirmed, as No. 7 KōmāmāAdam “The Bomb” Piccolotti (12-4) takes on No. 10 Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (30-11-1, 1 NC), while the undefeated No. 7Christian “Pain” Edwards (4-0) tutakiBen “Big Tuna” Parrish(4-1) in a light heavyweight contest. Ka whakaatuhia nga taapiri taapiri i muri mai.

“I believe in five years she’s going to be a better fighter. More training, more working and fighting. More experience. The first fight was very fast, so I think this one is going to be a longer fight. She’s a warrior. She likes to fight and it’s going to be nice to fight somebody like this," said Cyborg, who appeared on tonight’sBELLATOR 255broadcast to confirm the event.

“Of course, I want this fight. Everyone’s goal is to get a title in the premiere organization, which this is. This is the best organization for my weight class, and the best possible place I can be. I can guarantee it will be an entertaining fight,” added Smith.

Just the second BELLATOR woman’s featherweight champion in the company’s history, Cris “Cyborg” is coming off the first defense of her BELLATOR title, a victory againstArlene Blencowe, that also marked the first submission win of her illustrious career. An MMA legend at 35-years-old, “Cyborg” will be looking to further her legacy as the greatest woman’s mixed martial artist of all-time when she faces Leslie Smith for the second time on May 21. After winning BELLATOR gold in the 12th title fight of her career, the native of Curitiba, Brazil made history by becoming a world champion in her fourth major promotion, previously holding belts in both the UFC and Strikeforce. With a pro record of 23-2, 1 NC, whai wāhi 19 wins by finish, the Brazilian-born fighter who now calls Southern California home, holds victories over tough competition, whai wāhiJulia Budd, Holly Holm, Marloes Coenen and Gina Carano.

Known for an exciting in-your-face striking style, Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith will enter the BELLATOR cage on May 21 for the fifth time in her nearly 11-year MMA career. She gets a second shot at defeating “Cyborg,” following their first meeting at UFC 198 in Brazil on May 14, 2016. Mai taua a'ee, Smith has won four out of five fights with victories over Irene Aldana andSinead Kavanagh among them. A teammate of fellow BELLATOR athleteKeri Taylor Melendez, Smith trains out of El Nino Training Center in San Francisco.

Ko te kāri tuatahi mōBELLATOR MMA 259: Cyborg vs. Smith2 Ka AIR LIVE in all U.S. markets on the BELLATOR and SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channels, as well as Pluto TV.

As part of the launch of BELLATOR MMA on SHOWTIME, the network is offering viewers who are new to the SHOWTIME streaming service a 30-day free trial, Whai muri i te utu mo te utu ohaurunga mo te $ 4.99 / marama mo nga marama e ono e whai ake nei. Ka taea e nga kaitoro te haina kiSHO.com/BellatorMMA. Ka tukuna nga kaiohauru kia rua nga huihuinga BELLATOR MMA pirimia ia marama puta noa 2021 a tera taha, with all events scheduled to air live at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT i nga waahi katoa e waatea ana te ratonga SHOWTIME.

WhakahōutiaBELLATOR MMA 259: Cyborg vs. Smith 2Fight Card:

Featherweight World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg”(23-2, 1 NC) vs. #4-Leslie Smith (12-8-1)

Kōmāmā a'ee: #7-Arama Piccolot(12-4) vs. #10-Georgi Karakhanyan (30-11-1, 1 NC)

Light taumahamaha a'ee: #7-Karaitiana Edwards (4-0) vs.Ben Parrish(4-1)

*Ka whakarerekehia te kaari.

Haere kiBELLATOR.com no te tahi atu mau haamaramaramaraa.