Cris Cyborg makes the walk for what could be the final time in her legendary career on Saturday.
The eight-time defending champion across Bellator and the PFL will put her 145-pound title on the line against former UFC contender Ketlen Vieira in the main event of PFL Tampa.
At times, the fight has been billed as Cyborg’s retirement bout. However, the Brazilian superstar has made it clear that Saturday’s contest is simply the final fight on her current PFL contract and does not necessarily mark the end of her career.
The accolades Cyborg has accumulated throughout her career are staggering. Widely regarded as one of the pioneers of women’s MMA, Cyborg made her professional debut in 2005, losing her first fight. Since then, she has established herself as one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the sport.
Cyborg became the Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion and successfully defended the title twice. Following Strikeforce’s acquisition by the UFC, Cyborg moved to Invicta FC, which at the time was widely regarded as the premier all-women’s MMA promotion. She captured the Invicta FC featherweight championship and defended the belt three times.
In 2016, Cyborg finally made her long-awaited UFC debut following years of back-and-forth with UFC president Dana White. The UFC eventually established a 145-pound division, allowing Cyborg to capture the featherweight championship and defend it twice before suffering the only loss of her career since her 2005 debut against Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in December 2018.
Cyborg joined Bellator in 2020 and later transitioned to the PFL following its acquisition of Bellator in 2023. Since joining Bellator, Cyborg has remained undefeated across 10 fights while defeating some of the best 145-pound fighters in the world.
She has also competed in professional boxing, adding another chapter to an already remarkable combat sports resume.
Alongside Gina Carano, Cyborg became one of the defining faces of women’s MMA during a period when female fighters were still struggling to receive mainstream recognition. Her success helped pave the way for generations of women to pursue careers in mixed martial arts.
With Cyborg set to defend her 145-pound championship against Vieira on Saturday, I had the opportunity to catch up with the legendary fighter for LowKickMMA, ahead of her latest title defense.
Answers have been translated from Portuguese to English.
Cris Cyborg on training camp:
Danny Podolsky: How did this fight with Ketlen Vieira come together, and how has training been going?
Cris Cyborg: PFL called me and told me they wanted me to fight Ketlen Vieira after she left the UFC as a free agent. I accepted. When you are the champion you don’t get to select who you fight.
Camp was great, we welcomed a new training partner to this fight camp and along with my regular training partners Lerryan Douglas, Thomas Pho, and Richie Miranda we got to add a young 22 year old Jaeleen Robledo who is 6-1 in the female featherweight division.
Podolsky: What advantages do you see yourself having over Ketlen Vieira stylistically?
Cyborg: This is a chance for me to be the first Female fighter in MMA with 30 professional wins. I think my experience is my biggest advantage over Ketlen. I have a chance to win my 19th World Championship fight. Jon Jones is 2nd most all time with 17 World Championship victories. I know what it’s like to fight 5 rounds and I’m prepared to do what I know I need to do to win.
Podolsky: Ketlen is coming over to the PFL from the UFC. Do you think that will make her even hungrier heading into this fight?
Cyborg: I don’t know what makes Ketlen hungry. We all fight for money and this is our job which we provide for our families. It is my understanding that she will make more fighting in the PFL than she ever made fighting in the UFC.
On Potential Retirement, the Future, and Ronda Rousey:
Podolsky: What ultimately led you to make the decision to retire after this fight?
Cyborg: I do not know if this will be my retirement fight. It is the final fight on my PFL contract, and it could be my final fight but I don’t want the pressure of calling it my final fight. I have trained hard, I will go out and fight to the best of my abilities and then after my fight I will sit back and talk to my team, family, and pray about what decision is next.
Podolsky: Looking back on your career, what is your favorite memory?
Cyborg: Over 21 years I have made so many memories in the sport. I can’t pick one memory, the journey has been priceless.
Podolsky: What was your favorite location that you got to fight in?
Cyborg: Every place I have fought is special. I have fought in some amazing places including UFC 198 in Curitiba in front of 50,000 fans, Bellator Hawaii as the first female main event on the islands, Bellator 300 in San Diego my adopted city, Miami, Tampa, Lyon France, I have been blessed with traveling the world thanks to fighting.
Podolsky: Looking back, are there any regrets you have about your career?
Cyborg: I don’t have any regrets. I have loved fighting and all of the experiences are what have made me the champion I am today.
Podolsky: What, if anything, could convince you to come out of retirement after this fight? Could you see yourself continuing to compete in boxing?
Cyborg: After this fight I will be a free agent. I want to see what opportunities are best for me. Jake Paul keeps telling everyone that if you become a Free Agent then MVP is the place to be if you want to make the most money and have the biggest fights. I am the only World Champion in Boxing and MMA on the new MVP/PFL combined roster.
I want to see if what Jake Paul is telling people about becoming a free agent and fighting for MVP is true. They’ve got several great fights for me in MMA and Boxing. Scott Coker coming back, Amanda Nunes fighting Kayla Harrison, Claressa Shields losing weight…there are a lot of options for me if I decide I want to continue fighting.
Podolsky: The PFL recently merged with MVP MMA. Would a potential fight with Ronda Rousey be something that could tempt you out of retirement?
Cyborg: For 15 years I have agreed to fight Ronda Rousey. She is the one who doesn’t want to sign a contract to fight me. It takes two people to make a fight. I think at this point in our careers though I would seriously hurt Ronda. There is a reason Ronda fought Gina Carano who had not fought in 17 years and had to lose 100 pounds just to make it inside of the cage. Ronda didn’t come back for a real challenge, she came back to pick a hand chosen opponent so that she could re-write the end of her own story.
On Preparation and Goals:
Podolsky: Where have you been training for this fight, and who have been your main coaches and training partners during this camp?
Cyborg: I prepared for this fight in SoCal at King’s MMA and Cub Swanson’s new Bloodlines Gym. I also worked with Phillipe Della Monica at Gracie Barra headquarters. My training partners have included Richie Miranda who just signed to the UFC, Lerryan Douglas who fights the same night as me in the UFC, Professional boxer Sasha Saldan who is also fighting in a Boxing match Aug 22nd, and the young and up coming Jaeleen Robledo who is 6-1 at 145lbs in WMMA.
Podolsky: Have you made any improvements or added anything to your game that you want to showcase to fans in your final MMA fight?
Cyborg: 21 years of training I am always adding new things to my game that I want to showcase to my fans.
Podolsky: Besides winning, what are your goals for the final fight of your MMA career?
Cyborg: I do not know if this is my final fight. The goal is to enjoy the opportunity to compete.
Podolsky: What are you hoping to pursue in life once your fighting career is over?
Cyborg: I have a lot of passions and hobbies. I am going to be a Grandmother next week. I own a ranch in Brazil, I’m active in my church and I love spending time with animals. I have a lot of things to pursue after fighting.
Podolsky: Finally, what is your official prediction for your fight with Ketlen Vieira?
Cyborg: I predict an exciting fight against a female fighter who has been at the top of the sport for almost a decade. Make sure you don’t miss the fight on ESPN.
I’d like to thank Cris Cyborg and her entire management team for allowing me the opportunity to speak with her ahead of Saturday’s title defense.
Cyborg will defend her 145-pound championship against Ketlen Vieira in the main event of PFL Tampa on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
