If Cris “Cyborg” Justino fought Jorina Baars in an MMA cagefight there would be little suspense: Santos is the top-ranked featherweight in the world, Baars is just 1-3 in her MMA career. But under Muay Thai rules the matchup is much more compelling since Holland’s Baars boasts a 35-0 pro record in kickboxing and Muay Thai rules. Cyborg (5-0 in Muay Thai) can deal Baars her first loss when they collide March 29 for the Lion Fight women’s welterweight title (at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas).
The 28-year-old Brazilian star, coming off a third-round KO over previously unbeaten Jennifer Colomb at Lion Fight 11, recently spoke about pursuing her third world title in three different sports, the fighter she named her dog after and what she prays before stepping into the ring.
Here is the interview with Cris Cyborg:
How many times a day do you train Muay Thai?
Sometimes once, sometimes twice a day. My coach is from Guam and he’s visited Thailand a lot. Sometimes we train pads, do sparring, and then hit the pads again. I run a lot – I love to run, and I need to lose a lot of weight and I need to lose muscle. Some days I’ll run six miles.
You prefer sparring with men, and sparring sessions that simulate the intensity of a fight. Your attitude, stemming from your days with the renowned Chute Boxe team in Brazil, is “you will fight the way you spar.” Talk about that.
Yes, everything you do inside the gym is what you will do inside the ring or the octagon. So I like to spar like it’s a true fight. Man, I train hard because inside the ring it’s going to be hard! Girls are going to punch you hard. I like training with guys because they are more powerful than girls. So by training with guys, when I fight women I feel more comfortable getting hit by them. I do spar with girls sometimes because they are more competitive with me than guys.
How often do you spar hard?
Three times a week I spar in the gym and I train every day technical. It’s very important to spar a lot because it helps your timing – timing for delivering punches and kicks, timing for ducking, timing for when to counter-strike.
What is your favorite Muay Thai technique?
I love kicking more than punching, but my punches and knees are probably more technical. But in MMA I use more punches because when you kick you could give your leg to be taken down.
How comfortable do you feel in the Muay Thai clinch?
I have worked a lot because the clinch is very different in Muay Thai than it is in MMA. In MMA, when you’re in the clinch opponents will try to take you down so you have to train more wrestling (from the clinch). But I have worked a lot on my Muay Thai clinch and I feel comfortable there.
Do you have a favorite Muay Thai fighter?
My favorite is Ernesto Hoost. I’m a big fan of his. I have a dog – he’s a bulldog – and his name is Ernesto in honor of Holland’s Ernesto Hoost. I love Ernesto’s style and I’ve watched a lot of his interviews and he seems like a good person, so …
You’re fighting Jorina Baars for the Lion Fight women’s welterweight title. You’ve been a world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. What would it mean to add a world title in Muay Thai to your resume?
I’m ready to fight hard for five rounds and winning the title will just be a natural consequence of how hard I’ve trained for this fight. I want to put on an exciting fight and if I win this belt I will be a world champion in three different sports. So I feel blessed to have this opportunity.
What is harder on your body, training for Muay Thai or MMA?
With Muay Thai there’s a lot more repetition and every day is the same thing – sparring, clinching, running, hitting the pads, and throwing a lot of kicks until your legs hurt. In MMA you can train standup, then go to jiu-jitsu and then to takedowns. But in Muay Thai every day is the same thing. I love training Muay Thai but every day is the same thing so there are days when your legs and your shins really hurt.
Have you ever visited or trained in Thailand?
No, but that is a dream of mine because I love Muay Thai and that is where the art was born. I was planning to go to Thailand in April but I won’t be able to go because of my schedule. But I really want go.
Muay Thai is wrapped in many traditions and rituals. Do you practice many of them?
I respect the traditions and rituals a lot but I have my own style and rituals that I do before I fight. I like to pray to God and talk with God because I’m a Christian. So I ask God to help me be ready for the fight. I always leave my fight in God’s hands. I just want to put on the best fight I can and I don’t worry about if I win or lose. And I pray for me and my opponent to not suffer any bad injuries.
Do you expect to knockout Jorina on March 28th?
I’m always trying to finish a fight so for sure I will go for the knockout. I think she’ll come out the same way. It’s a fight!
