Is Cris Cyborg the UFC's most important female fighter?

In truth, Cris Cyborg's long-awaited UFC debut Saturday left a lot to be desired.

She did not come out in a fury and immediately overwhelm Leslie Smith, instead she showed patience and poise even as thousands of bloodthirsty Brazilians were calling for her opponent's blood.

And when the fire came, it was a brief, burning spark that some argued was extinguished too quickly by a referee focused more on preserving Smith's well being than allowing Cyborg to show the brutality that has made her the most feared woman in MMA.

Regardless of how memorable the action was, what's most important is that Cyborg officially etched her name in the Octagon history books at UFC 198, something that would have seemed impossible as recently as a year ago.

Now that her foot is in the door and she's shown a willingness to accommodate a 140-pound weight limit, the question has to be asked:

Can any of the UFC's best female fighters defeat Cyborg?

Related: Fight Forecast: Matches to make after UFC 198

It's that uncertainty that will make the 30-year-old Brazilian star an invaluable commodity to the UFC and president Dana White.

Even if Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, and Ronda Rousey spend the next 12 months trading the women's bantamweight title between them (apologies to Amanda Nunes), the shadow of Cyborg will still loom over them.

Meanwhile, she can bide her time racking up wins against over-matched competition, whether it's in her role as Invicta FC featherweight champion or in more catchweight bouts for the UFC. With every highlight-reel performance, the fans will only become more ravenous in their desire to see Cyborg face the best of the best.

Her peers may have the leverage for now, but neither Holm nor Tate have proven they can draw without a stronger name headlining their cards, and there is substantial doubt regarding Rousey's desire to return to full-time fighting:

That leaves the mystique of Cyborg as the greatest potential draw on the women's side of the Zuffa equation. She owns a gaudy 16-1 record, having gone undefeated for ten years. And only two of her opponents managed to make it to a decision.

Traditionalists may bristle at the thought of Cyborg becoming a special attraction who never officially competes for a UFC title, but the recent Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz superfight proved that championships are secondary to a fight that sells without any shiny props.

Cyborg has already issued an unofficial challenge to Rousey for UFC 205, the organization's highly-anticipated New York debut at Madison Square Garden. The two have a heated rivalry dating back to their Strikeforce days. A collision between the two was averted when Rousey chose to move down to 135 pounds.

As appealing as rematches with Holm or Tate would be, even Rousey herself would admit that Cyborg is the one woman everyone wants to see her fight.

It's inevitable that the UFC comes to that conclusion as well.