UFC Fight Night 95: Lina Lansberg, 'Fighter To Watch' tonight in Brasilia

The odds of Lina Lansberg defeating Cris Cyborg later tonight (Sat., Sept. 24, 2016) are absolutely staggering. As the most punishing force in the history of women's mixed martial arts (MMA), Cyborg is expected to run through Lansberg like a light saber through butter when the two square off at UFC Fight Night 95 live on FOX Sports 1 from inside Ginasio Nilson Nelson arena in Brasilia, Brazil. Lansberg will be making her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut while Cyborg makes another useless cut down to 140 pounds in her first headlining act.

As a fighter who has drawn massive attention throughout the years leading back to her dominant championship days in Strikeforce, fight fans know exactly what they're going to get with Cyborg. Whether she's competing at featherweight or catchweight to accommodate the mad UFC matchmaking, the 31-year-old striker is going to pile pressure on her opponent from the opening bell. Cyborg throws heavy leather and lands heavier. She possesses other sound qualities inside of the cage, but her hands are so darn dangerous that she has resembled a female MMA version of "Iron" Mike Tyson.

At this point, there's really no need to talk about Cyborg. She's already one of the best female fighters to ever do the dance and will continue to headline shows in Brazil for as long as she competes. So with the knockout juggernaut on the back burner for now, we turn our attention to Lansberg, who few people know anything about, especially casual fight fans willing to turn on FS1 later tonight. Out of every fighter on the UFC Fight Night 95 docket, "Elbow Princess" is the one we should most watch closely. After all, she must possess a few loose screws to step up and challenge Cyborg in enemy territory.

But despite her psyche, Lansberg actually has some talent inside of the cage. As a former ballet dancer who made an ultra-competitive run at Muay Thai to claim an amateur world championship, Lansberg is extremely versatile on her feet. She's not only capable of landing head kicks and powerful combinations inside, but the Swedish striker possesses splintering elbows in the clinch (hence the nickname). Lansberg is going to be the smaller and less equipped fighter later this evening in Brasilia, but she isn't a complete dud. With all due respect to Leslie Smith, who Cyborg defeated at UFC 198 via first-round TKO in her Octagon debut, Lansberg may be the best striker Cyborg has faced in a few years. And when you consider the grueling weight cut that Cyborg has now had to endure to make the catchweight mark, her chin may be more susceptible than ever before.

It's always interesting to see what a prospect can do when he/she is given an opportunity to shine. For Lansberg, who has only been competing professionally for four years, tonight is that opportunity. Even if she escapes the first round she can leave Brazil with a moral victory in hand. But if she rises to the occasion and somehow knocks Cyborg off her Brazilian throne, the MMA world will be thrown for a loop worse than when Holly Holm pancaked Ronda Rousey to the Octagon canvas at UFC 193.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 95 fight card on fight night, starting with the Fight Pass "Prelims" matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining undercard balance on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET, also on FOX Sports 1.