Holly Holm knows Cris Cyborg is very tough, but also very beatable ahead of UFC 219 title fight

In 2005, Cris Cyborg lost her mixed martial arts (MMA) debut, getting submitted by Erica Paes via kneebar in the very first round. Since that lightning-fast defeat, “Cyborg” has gone on one of the most terrorizing runs in all of MMA, winning 18 straight bouts. 16 of them via knockout.

While impressive, every fighter -- Cyborg included — is beatable despite carrying an aura of invincibility into the cage night in and night out. It’s a sentiment Holly Holm firmly believes in, as she says she won’t make the mistake of losing the fight before it begins.

“One of the biggest things is to believe that I can beat her. I think a lot of people see her as being unbeatable and they almost think they can’t do it. If you don’t think you can’t do it, then it’s not going to happen,” said Holly on a recent edition of The MMA Hour.

Rose Namajunas agrees.

Holm and Cyborg are set to duke it out for the Brazilian’s Ultimate Fighting championship (UFC) Featherweight title at UFC 219 on Dec. 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada after a brief hiccup halted the title fight.

With the help of her world class team at Jackson-Winkeljonhn MMA, “The Preacher’s Daughter” is confident she can expose Cyborg’s holes to get the “W.”

“I need to listen to my coaches because they all have their insight on what can beat her in this fight. Every fighter is beatable, there is holes in everybody’s game. We are putting together a good gameplan that I feel confident about and we have the whole training camp to put it together,” said the former Bantamweight champion.

“When it comes down to the fight, it comes down to me performing it. She is very beatable, she is very tough and definitely not looking past her. But I am not going to look at it as it is not attainable because then there’s not the possibility of making it happen. I am confident in the fight and feel I can beat her,” she concluded.

A former pro boxer, Holm definitely has the chops to hang with Cyborg in the striking department, which should make for an interesting showdown as power meets precision.

Should Holly get the win and become only the fifth fighter to win two separate division titles under the UFC banner, she will also be able to boast the fact that she’s the first and only fighter to hold wins over both Cyborg and Ronda Rousey.

Feather, meet cap.