One of the most accomplished MMA fighters of all time is ready to try on boxing gloves for the first time in her career. Cris Cyborg, the current Bellator featherweight champion, told “The Catchup” YouTube show that she has signed on to compete in a boxing fight this year.
Per ESPN, the bout will be eight rounds with eight-ounce gloves. Like all women’s boxing contests, Cyborg will compete in two-minute rounds. It is a change from the five-minute bouts she has competed in when inside the cage.
It is currently unknown who her first opponent will be.
“My team already received the contract, we’ve been back and forth working on the contract, I believe soon, we’ll finish and I’ll sign,” Cyborg said, via Bleacher Report. “Then you guys are gonna know who and where is gonna be my next fight. I’m very excited to do my first fight in boxing. Very, very excited. It’s one of my dreams.”
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The 37-year-old Cyborg is a two-time World Jiu-Jitsu Championship gold medalist. She made her MMA debut in 2005. Cyborg has won featherweight gold with Strikeforce, Invicta FC, the UFC, and Bellator. She is currently on a six-fight win streak, having won the Bellator featherweight title in 2020 against Julia Budd. Cyborg has defended the belt four times. Her last bout was a unanimous decision win in April over Arlene Blencowe.
Bellator’s Scott Coker has given his full support in this endeavor. Cyborg is currently a restricted free agent in a negotiating period with Bellator. There is currently no set date for her next MMA fight.
Will Cris Cyborg fight Katie Taylor?
With her boxing debut set, the rumors of a Cyborg vs. Katie Taylor fight have now heated up.
Not long ago, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported that negotiations are underway for a clash between Cyborg and the undisputed lightweight champion in Taylor. December was considered the target date for a potential bout.
Taylor, 36, is a 2012 Olympic gold medalist. “The Bray Bomber” made her pro debut in 2016, and is considered one of the top fighters today. Her last bout was a split decision win over Amanda Serrano inside Madison Square Garden. It was a history-making matchup where both fighters earned seven figures. There were rumors of a rematch taking place. If a fight with Cyborg became official, Mannix reported that Taylor would face Serrano after.
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Cyborg teased a fight with Taylor following the news of her boxing debut, tweeting, “Tell the Irish the Brazilians are coming.”
Tell the Irish ☘️ the Brazilians are coming 🇧🇷 🥊 https://t.co/IKL3cnD5SK
— Grand Slam Champ CrisCyborg.com (@criscyborg) August 9, 2022
Will Cris Cyborg fight Kayla Harrison?
Cyborg’s boxing debut has resulted in questions about her MMA future. More specifically, a potential matchup with the Professional Fighters League’s Kayla Harrison.
Harrison, a multi-time judo gold medalist and two-time Olympic gold medalist, is currently signed with the PFL. The 32-year-old is a two-time PFL lightweight tournament champion. Signing a new deal with the promotion, Harrison has shown interest in fighting Cyborg.
On The MMA Hour, PFL CEO Peter Murray told Ariel Helwani that the PFL reached out to Cyborg about a fight with Harrison.
“Listen, I think that’s the fight that fans would like to see,” Murray said. “That’s a fight that the PFL would like to get behind. Kayla said she wants that fight. I think it’s going to come down to Cris Cyborg — does Cris Cyborg want that fight? And whether Cris decides to come over to the PFL to make that fight and perhaps other fights happen, that’s one scenario. And another scenario is a co-promotion. And we’re proponents of both.”
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On “The Catchup,” Cyborg stated that she is open to compete in the best fights for her fans. Cyborg’s shown interest in staying with Bellator and longtime business partner Coker but is willing to test the waters for a potential Harrison clash.
It appears, however, that talks for a fight have not reached the end zone.
“We’ve never had any talks with PFL,” Cyborg went on to say. “They never talk about this fight. I know it’s a lot of talks on the internet to make this fight happen with [Harrison], two different ways, but I’ve never had the opportunity to talk about anything.”
For now, fans will have to wait a bit longer for a potential clash of champions inside the cage.
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