Tag: Cris Cyborg

PFL founder Donn Davis reveals Francis Ngannou will fight in 2024, confirms Cyborg vs. Pacheco

PFL founder Donn Davis reveals Francis Ngannou will fight in 2024, confirms Cyborg vs. PachecoWith Francis Ngannou coming up short in his second professional boxing match, PFL founder Donn Davis expects the former…

PFL founder Donn Davis reveals Francis Ngannou will fight in 2024, confirms Cyborg vs. Pacheco

With Francis Ngannou coming up short in his second professional boxing match, PFL founder Donn Davis expects the former UFC champion to make his PFL debut no later than September of this year.

It’s been a year since Ngannou put pen to paper, signing a ground-breaking deal with the Professional Fighters League. During that time, the Cameroonian stepped inside the squared circle with both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, going 0-2 in the process. It now appears as though Ngannou will head back to the world of MMA for a showdown with the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner in just a few short months.

Francis Ngannou

“Will it be as early as July? Maybe. Will it be as late as September? No later, but you’ll see Francis now in 2024 in the PFL against [Renan Ferreira] what I believe is the fight I’m looking forward to the most in the heavyweight division in all of MMA,” Davis said during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani.

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco will also feature alongside francis ngannou’s pFL debut

Offering some additional details about the event itself, Davis revealed that current Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg will make her promotional debut in the co-main event against the two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco.

“That will be a pay-per-view fight,” Davis added. “That event will also have Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco as the co-main event. That card will also have Cedric Doumbe against somebody we will announce. So that is going to be big just because of Francis, but it will have other compelling matchups on it.”

Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco

Davis added that the card will take place in Riyadh. No other details were offered, but the event will likely emanate from Kingdom Arena — the same venue that hosted the PFL vs. Bellator event on February 24.

Ngannou’s expected opponent, Renan Ferreira, earned the opportunity to welcome ‘The Predator’ to the PFL by dispatching Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds last month in Saudi Arabia.

Ferreira vs. Bader

Cris Cyborg set to train Holly Holm for fight with rival Kayla Harrison at UFC 300: ‘I think she’s a legend’

Cris Cyborg set to train Holly Holm for her UFC 300 fight with Kayla Harrison's she's a legendBellator MMA featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg has confirmed she is set to train former undisputed bantamweight titleholder, Holly Holm…

Cris Cyborg set to train Holly Holm for her UFC 300 fight with Kayla Harrison's she's a legend

Bellator MMA featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg has confirmed she is set to train former undisputed bantamweight titleholder, Holly Holm for her upcoming UFC 300 fight with former PFL champion, Kayla Harrison in April – rekindling her rivalry with the Ohio native.

Cyborg, a former undisputed UFC featherweight queen, has been sidelined since she featured at Bellator 300 back in November, successfully defending her featherweight crown in a one-sided first round knockout win over fellow Octagon veteran, Cat Zingano.

And struggling to book a fight with either the PFL or Bellator since the Peter Murray-led promotion bought out the latter, Cyborg has announced plans to make another boxing appearance in her time away from mixed martial arts.

Cris Cyborg to train Holly Holm for fight with Kayla Harrison

Furthermore, staking her claim for a potential UFC comeback in a rematch with Brazilian compatriot, Amanda Nunes in April, Cyborg revealed she is set to travel to Albuquerque to train Holm for her UFC 300 clash against Harrison later this quarter.

“I already have a date to go to Albuquerque – I’m very excited,” Cris Cyborg told James Lynch during a recent interview. “I talked to the team, talked to Holly (Holm) – we’ve been studying Kayla (Harrison) for a little while already. I have been training for her already.”

“I’m a super fan of Holly Holm,” Cris Cyborg continued. “I think she’s a legend. She’s a big example to female fighters. [I’ll] be a part of her camp, and I think she’s going to come with a great victory. It’s going to be good.” 

Herself fighting Holm back in 2017, Cyborg headlined UFC 219 against the boxing Hall of Famer, landing a unanimous decision win to successfully defend her undisputed featherweight championship. 

Remaining sceptical of Harrison’s ability to successfully make the bantamweight limit for her UFC 300 debut inside the Octagon, Holm claimed she would likely skirt a fight with the two-time Olympic gold medalist if she failed to successfully tip the scales. 

What’s next for Cris Cyborg?

Cris Cyborg lobbies Dana White to book Amanda Nunes rematch for UFC 300: ‘I would love to add it to the card’

Cris Cyborgs urges Dana White to book Amanda Nunes rematch fight on UFC 300 cardFormer undisputed featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg has urged Dana White to book a long-anticipated rematch between herself and fellow…

Cris Cyborgs urges Dana White to book Amanda Nunes rematch fight on UFC 300 card

Former undisputed featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg has urged Dana White to book a long-anticipated rematch between herself and fellow Brazilian favorite, Amanda Nunes on a blockbuster UFC 300 card – amid hints from the latter that she is already weighing up her June retirement from last year.

Cyborg, a former undisputed featherweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the White-led organization back in 2019, before joining Bellator MMA the following year and turning in a stunning six-fight winning run – all of which in undisputed featherweight championship fight wins.

As for Bahia native, Nunes, the former undisputed bantamweight and featherweight champion, most recently headlined UFC 289 back in June in Canada, successfully racking up another defense of the 135 pound title with a unanimous decision shutout win over short-notice Mexican challenger, Irene Aldana. 

Fighting Brazilian counterpart, Cyborg for the featherweight title back in 2018, Nunes minted herself as a duel-weight champion, landing a vicious opening minute knockout win over the veteran – handing Cris Cyborg her first professional loss since a defeat in her mixed martial arts debut all the way back in 2005.

Cris Cyborg calls for Amanda Nunes rematch at UFC 300

Tirelessly campaigning for a title fight rematch with Nunes in the future, Cyborg, who ended her Octagon tenure with a decision win over former title challenger, the now-retired, Felicia Spencer, has urged the above-mentioned White to add a rematch between herself and Nunes to a massive UFC 300 card.

“Dana… I would love to add #CyborgNunes3 onto the @ufc 300 card too,” Cris Cyborg posted on her official X account overnight. 

Cyborg’s calls for a rematch with Nunes comes fresh off claims from the Brazilian that she may make a spectacular retirement-snapping return to the Octagon, after attending UFC 297 last weekend, watching former-foe, Raquel Pennington nab the vacant bantamweight crown.

Last night to boot, White announced the signing of two-time Olympic gold medalist and PFL staple, Kayla Harrison – before booking a debut for the Ohio native against ex-champion, Holly Holm for UFC 300 in April. 

Over recent years, both Cyborg and Harrison had expressed a vested interest in fighting against each other under either the PFL or Bellator MMA banners. 

Video – Cris Cyborg Smashes Kelsey Wickstrum in 81 Seconds with Vicious One-Hit Knockout

Cris CyborgWomen’s MMA icon Cris Cyborg added another highlight-reel knockout to her legendary resume. The reigning Bellator women’s featherweight champion…

Cris Cyborg

Women’s MMA icon Cris Cyborg added another highlight-reel knockout to her legendary resume.

The reigning Bellator women’s featherweight champion squared off with Kelsey Wickstrom at a World Fighting Championship event on Friday night at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. The evening’s headliner ended just as quickly as it started with Cyborg dropping Wickstrum with a brutal overhand right just past the one-minute mark of the opening round.

Wickstrum attempted to answer the referee’s count, but the bout was called off once she face-planted back onto the canvas.

Cyborg has won three straight boxing matches since making her sweet science debut in 2022. Friday’s shellacking of Kelsey Wickstrom represented her first finish in the sport. She had previously earned decision victories over Simone da Silva and Gabrielle Holloway, while also scoring a successful Bellator title defense via a first-round TKO against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 in October.

What’s Next For Cris Cyborg?

With the Professional Fighters League acquiring Bellator MMA last year, fight fans are eagerly awaiting news of a long-teased clash between Cyborg and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison. With PFL founder Donn Davis announcing a PFL champions vs. Bellator champions mega-event in Saudi Arabia, many assumed that Cyborg vs. Harrison would be part of the festivities. As it turns out, neither fighter will be part of the card with Cyborg claiming that Harrison turned down the scrap on social media.

“I am disappointed to hear that after @PeteMurrayPFL offered me the date and location for a fight against @KaylaH and after we accepted the bout that she has now declined the offer,” Cyborg wrote on X.

Davis attempted to quell some of the frustration online between fans and the fighters, telling MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani that Cyborg vs. Harrison will “most likely” go down this summer.

“We wanted it to be [on the PFL x Bellator card]…Kayla [Harrison], injury then [Cris] Cyborg didn’t want to fight [Larissa] Pacheco…Injury, schedules, conflicts, opinions, but that fight’s gonna happen. The great news, that fight’s gonna happen…Kayla wants to fight Cris, Cris wants to fight Kayla, that fight’s gonna happen. So will it be the summer? Most likely.”

Kayla Harrison Calls for Cris Cyborg Fight After Dominant Win vs. Aspen Ladd

In the wake of the PFL’s purchase of Bellator earlier this week, Kayla Harrison has issued the challenge for a long-awaited match with Cris Cyborg. Following…

In the wake of the PFL’s purchase of Bellator earlier this week, Kayla Harrison has issued the challenge for a long-awaited match with Cris Cyborg. Following…

Cris Cyborg Defeats Cat Zingano in 1st-Round TKO at Bellator 300

Cris Cyborg completed a fifth successful defense of her featherweight championship belt on Saturday by defeating Cat Zingano via first-round TKO at Bellator…

Cris Cyborg completed a fifth successful defense of her featherweight championship belt on Saturday by defeating Cat Zingano via first-round TKO at Bellator…