Cris Cyborg

Top 5: Best Female UFC Fighters Of All Time

Top Female UFC Fighters in History Let’s countdown the top 5 best Female UFC Fighters of all time. This is a measurement of career success,…

Let’s countdown the top 5 best Female UFC Fighters of all time. This is a measurement of career success, title defenses, and notable wins, to crown the top Female UFC Fighters in history.

Top Female UFC Fighters in History

The following is the greatest in history, the Top Female UFC Fighters of all time.

5. Valentina Shevchenko

‘Bullet‘ Valentina Shevchenko has an impressive record of 23 wins and 4 losses in professional MMA, including 8 victories by knockout and 7 by submission. She made her UFC debut in 2015 and quickly rose to prominence, capturing the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship in December 2018 by defeating Joanna J?drzejczyk. Shevchenko holds the record for the most successful title defenses in UFC women’s flyweight history, with seven successful defenses.

4. Cris Cyborg

Brazil’s Cris Cyborg is an all-time great legend in MMA history. Cyborg became the first female fighter to win a championship in four different organizations: Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC, and Bellator. She is known for her aggressive fighting style and holds a professional record of 26 wins, 2 losses, and 1 no-contest, with 21 of those victories coming by knockout. Cyborg’s most notable achievements include winning the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship and successfully defending it.

3. Joanna J?drzejczyk

The Polish-born Joanna J?drzejczyk is celebrated for her striking skills. Her incredibly sharp kickboxing and Muay Thai acumen raised the level of striking in women’s MMA. J?drzejczyk captured the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship in March 2015 by defeating Carla Esparza and went on to defend her title five times. She was also in one of the most exciting fights in UFC history when she battled Zhang Weili with the world title on the line. Truly, one of the greatest Female UFC Fighters ever.

2. Ronda Rousey

A pioneer of women’s MMA. Ronda Rousey is credited with bringing the sport into the mainstream. She was the first female fighter signed by the UFC and became the inaugural UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion in December 2012. She successfully defended her title six times before suffering her first defeat in 2015. Rousey was an Olympic Medalist in Judo before transitioning to MMA and she used her world-class experience to dangerous effects in her fights.

Ronda Rousey admits she never evolved during UFC career I was being everything to everyone

1. Amanda Nunes

‘The Lioness’ Amanda Nunes, of Brazil, was the first woman to hold two UFC titles simultaneously when she captured the bantamweight championship in 2016 and the featherweight championship in 2018. Nunes is known for her striking power and finishing ability. Her notable wins include victories over Rousey, Cyborg, Miesha Tate, and Shevchenko. Nunes has successfully defended her bantamweight title five times.

Kayla Harrison Believes Pacheco’s Power and Hunger Will Be Too Much for Aging Cris Cyborg

Decorated MMA and Olympic champion Kayla Harrison has offered her opinion on the upcoming showdown between Larissa Pacheco and…

Decorated MMA and Olympic champion Kayla Harrison has offered her opinion on the upcoming showdown between Larissa Pacheco and MMA legend Cris Cyborg.

Kayla Harrison on Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg

Kayla Harrison was a multi-time gold medalist in the Olympics and a multi-time PFL MMA world champion. After a loss to Brazil’s Larissa Pacheco, Harrison jumped over to the UFC. The US-born Olympian has since submitted former champion Holly Holm.

Brazil’s Cris Cyborg will be seeking her fifth MMA world title in the PFL as she takes on Pacheco on October 19. Cyborg has captured gold in Bellator, Strikeforce, Invicta, and the UFC.

Kayla Harrison predicted that Pacheco would defeat Cyborg in their fight at PFL: Battle Of The Giants. This event will be part of the debut of the promotion’s PPV Super Fights division, with both the winner of this fight and the main event between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira receiving a new Super Fights belt.

“I think Pacheco wins. She’s young, I mean unless she’s been goofing off, you know. Couple mil will do that sometimes. Couple mil in the bank account makes it hard to get out of bed but she’s young, she’s hungry, she keeps getting better, she’s got real power. Cyborg’s at the end of her career.”

Harrison believes that Pacheco’s youth and hunger give her an advantage, provided she remains dedicated despite her financial success. She noted that Cyborg, at 39, is in the latter stages of her career, which might work in Pacheco’s favor. Harrison pointed out that Cyborg, who began her career in 2005, has not shown significant progress or growth in her fight strategy, unlike Pacheco.

“Yeah I think she’s a little bit older and I just think that we like we haven’t seen a lot of progress from her like I don’t see her fight IQ growing. I haven’t seen progression really, she fights the same way now that she fought, you know, however long ago so I think Pacheco is gonna win.”

Harrison is back competing later this year at UFC 307.

Larissa Pacheco predicts war against Cris Cyborg: ‘Who goes down first?’

Ahead of her massive super fight with undisputed Bellator MMA featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg in October, PFL (Professional Fighters…

Ahead of her massive super fight with undisputed Bellator MMA featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg in October, PFL (Professional Fighters League) favorite, Larissa Pacheco is expecting an all-out war with her compatriot, expecting one of them to suffer a big knockout loss in Riyadh.

Pacheco, fresh from a PFL featherweight tournament success last year after a prior lightweight tournament win the year prior, most recently landed a unanimous decision win over Marina Mokhnatkina in November of last year in the tournament’s finale — extending her stunning winning spree to 10 bouts straight.

As for Cyborg, the former undisputed UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta FC featherweight champion, turned in her sixth straight win under the banner of Bellator MMA back in October, successfully defending her featherweight crown for a fifth time with a dominant first round knockout win over fellow Octagon veteran, Cat Zingano.

Larissa Pacheco expects war showdown with Cris Cyborg in October

And ahead of their super fight in the desert in October, Pacheco — who features against Cyborg before a massive heavyweight clash between Renan Ferreira, and Francis Ngannou, is expecting a huge war with the Curitiba striker when they share the SmartCage.

“We have an idea of how the fight will play out, but we never know for sure,” Larissa Pacheco told MMA Fighting. “We have a similar style, we’re both aggressive and walk forward the entire time, no turning back. For some people, it’s like a lottery.”

“Who goes down fight? I don’t know, it’s hard to say,” Larissa Pacheco explained. “But all I know is that we’ll both give our all in there. Cris (Cyborg) has a unique style and will do everything she can to win, so it’s going to be a historic fight.”

Also during her 10-fight winning run, Pacheco became the first fighter to defeat former two-time lightweight tournament winner and UFC contender, Kayla Harrison with a unanimous decision success.

Cris Cyborg Looking to Make History by Collecting Her Fifth World Title in MMA

Later this year, Cris Cyborg will be looking to defeat Larissa Pacheco and capture a PFL title. The inaugural…

Later this year, Cris Cyborg will be looking to defeat Larissa Pacheco and capture a PFL title. The inaugural PFL Super Fight belt will be on the line on October 19 live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The Brazilian athlete has been a trailblazer in the world of women’s MMA. She fought Gina Carano in Strikeforce in the first female MMA fight on primetime television in the US. She’s collected numerous titles including the UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta, and Bellator. Additionally, she has competed in professional boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and submission grappling, and is well feared for her knockout power.

On X, formerly Twitter, she said:

“My next opponent is 10 years younger. She’s won 10 fights in a row, 7 of those by 1st round KO. She is the betting favorite. She ran Judo Kayla off. Oct. 19th a win over Larissa Pacheco makes me PFLMMA champion and gives me my 5th world championship.“

Here is an outline of the titles Cris Cyborg has won throughout her impressive career.

Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Championship (2009)

Opponent: Gina Carano
Method: Technical Knockout (TKO) in the first round
Year: 2009

Invicta FC Featherweight Championship (2013)

Opponent: Marloes Coenen
Method: TKO in the fourth round
Year: 2013

UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship (2017)

Opponent: Tonya Evinger
Method: TKO in the third round
Year: 2017

Bellator Women’s Featherweight Championship (2020)

Opponent: Julia Budd
Method: TKO in the fourth round
Year: 2020

Larissa Pacheco

Brazil’s Larissa Pacheco is a two-time PFL tournament champion. Currently, she is riding an impressive ten-fight win streak. She has impressive wins over veterans such as Sarah Kaufman, Olena Kolesnyk, Julia Budd, and Olympic medalist Kayla Harrison.

Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg will both be looking to capture PFL gold later this year. Also featured on the card will be Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira.

Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff

The build-up to Francis Ngannou’s long-awaited MMA comeback and PFL debut continued on Thursday, with the heavyweight powerhouse going face-to-face with opponent Renan Ferreira at the Battle of the Giants press conference. Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, hasn’t laced the MMA gloves since his lone successful title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. […]

Continue Reading Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff at MMA News.

Ngannou, a former UFC heavyweight champion, hasn’t laced the MMA gloves since his lone successful title defense against Ciryl Gane in January 2022. He later departed the organization following a lengthy contractual dispute and found a new home, putting pen to paper on an exclusive MMA deal with the Professional Fighters League in May 2023.

He’s yet to enter the SmartCage, however, instead using the freedom granted to him by the PFL to complete his long-discussed venture to the sport of boxing. After shocking the world with his performance against then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Ngannou stayed in that realm of combat for a highly anticipated matchup with former two-time unified champ Anthony Joshua.

A devastating knockout defeat to the Brit in Saudi Arabia this past March has put a stop to his charge in the ring for the time being, and Ngannou’s sights are instead now on the sport in which he made his name once again.

“The Predator” will be back in the cage on October 19, making his promotional debut in the main event of a PFL Super Fight card opposite Renan Ferreira, the 2023 heavyweight champ inside the SmartCage.

The card’s co-headliner, meanwhile, sees another major name make their return as Bellator Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg gears up for her first MMA outing in over a year. She’ll meet the PFL’s very first two-weight title winner in Larissa Pacheco this fall.

Those four names were initially all set to appear at the Battle of the Giants press conference on August 22, held at The Anthem in Washington D.C. However, only Ngannou and Ferreira fielded questions from the media, with Pacheco also appearing briefly. It’s unknown why original plans to have Cyborg in attendance fell away.

Check out a full stream of the presser below via the PFL’s official YouTube channel, followed by all the highlights and faceoffs!

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Stream

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights

Jake Paul: Let's go. It's your boy Ariel Helwani, I will be hosting today. pic.twitter.com/rKBIhlcT2h

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) August 22, 2024

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Faceoff

Continue Reading Battle Of The Giants: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira Press Conference Highlights & Faceoff at MMA News.

Ronda Rousey Calls Out Steroid-Pumped Cris Cyborg: No One Wants to Watch Her Cheating A B***

Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey was a megastar in the world of MMA huge huge mainstream crossover appeal. The became the…

Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey was a megastar in the world of MMA huge huge mainstream crossover appeal. The became the face of the UFC. Rousey is also the reason the UFC started allowing women’s fights at all. In this interview, she reflects on saving women’s MMA and slams all-time great Cris Cyborg.

Ronda Rousey on Women’s MMA

Ronda Rousey was an Olympic medalist and then began competing in MMA in Strikeforce. There, she was celebrated for her trash talk and feud against Miesha Tate. Zuffa, the owning company of the UFC, bought Strikeforce so Rousey made sure to get women into the UFC. Even Dana White admitted that they would never have started the women’s fighting division if it wasn’t for ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey.

Prior to Rousey’s run, the biggest names in women’s MMA were Cris Cyborg and Gina Carano who fought on network TV under Strikeforce. The Brazilian fighter has picked up titles in Invicta, Strikeforce, Bellator, and the UFC, among others. Despite being a trailblazer and an all-time great, Ronda Rousey has no love for Cris Cyborg.

Speaking in an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Rousey explained:

“People forget how fragile that situation was and how last-minute I was able to get us in. Strikeforce was the only organization that was really showcasing women and that was because of Gina Carano, because her dad was involved with the Nevada Athletic Commission and was able to sanction fights for her and all these things.”

Ronda Rousey hits back at UFC fans over criticizm of KO losses I'm the greatest fighter to ever live — Mandatory Credit: MMA Junkie

Speaking on Cris Cyborg, she said:

“When she was gone, Cris Cyborg’s pumped to the f*cking gills with steroids. No one wants to watch that cheating ass bitch. Everything just tanked. The division was dying. The UFC bought Strikeforce and it was assumed they were just going to absorb all of the male talent that they liked and fold the whole organization, because that’s what they did with PRIDE, that’s what they did with WEC, that was their business model. So there was a matter of time.”

Rousey added:

“It was just a matter of time before they closed the whole thing and there would be nowhere that would showcase women’s MMA, so I had that much time to make sure that Dana [White] couldn’t go a single day without seeing my name somewhere. The rest is history.” [Ht MMAFighting]

Ronda Rousey was able to create a massive amount of attention for women’s MMA with her impressive and quick wins in the UFC. She has since MMA and began competing in WWE professional wrestling.