It's not really fair to say MMA standout Cris "Cyborg" Justino lost big at Lion Fight 14 Friday night in Las Vegas. After all, in just her third professional kickboxing match, Cyborg gave Jorina Baars, an undefeated Dutch standout, all she could handle in a thrilling all-action fight on AXS TV.

But life isn't fair. Anyone who says otherwise, to borrow from a great man, is selling something.

For five rounds Cyborg did what she always doesshe charged forward with a startling recklessness, looking to end the fight quickly. When Cyborg managed to close the distance and get into the pocket, Baars found herself thrown to the mat or fending off haymakers, hanging on for dear life.

Cyborg was a vicious, snarling animal.

Business as usual.

That wasn't, however, the story of the fight. Though Cyborg controlled the bulk of the action, the unanimous decision win for Baars was written in the few moments the inexperienced MMA champion gambled and lost. When Baars circled away or timed Cyborg's inbound trajectory properly, she made rangy knees and rangier push kicks to the face count, putting Cyborg on the mat or wobbling her several times with brilliant shots to the head.

Baarstalked toMMA Fighting's Shaun Al-Shattiafter the fight:

I'm aMuayThai fighter.She's an MMA fighter...I will beat her. That's every opponent, I will beat them. It's my sport. It's my style...The gameplan was to put Cris in my range and stick with the knees, and when she comes in, put a knee up or a kick push attempt in her face. It worked.

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In a perfect world, we'd be celebrating Cyborg's accomplishment. Although just 25 years old, Baars was an undefeated fighter entering her 38th professional fight. If there's such a thing as a moral victory, this was certainly one.Baars is so feared on the kickboxing circuit, in fact, that no one has been willing to fight her for three years.

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