Cris Cyborg will seek her third-straight successful Bellator title defense next month at Bellator 271 against top contender Sinead Kavanagh.
Bellator president Scott Coker announced the fight during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. The event is scheduled for Nov. 12 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.
This will be Cyborg’s fourth fight in Bellator since moving on from the UFC in 2019. She is widely regarded as one of the best female MMA fighters of all time and has looked dominant since moving over to Bellator.
Cyborg is also the former UFC featherweight champion but lost her belt to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232. After that, she was expected to face Nunes in an immediate rematch, but negotiations never materialized and she went on to fight Felicia Spencer instead at UFC 240.
Cyborg will face SBG Ireland’s Kavanagh, who is coming off of back-to-back victories over Katharina Lehner and Olga Rubin. Cyborg most recently defeated Leslie Smith in a rematch at Bellator 259.
Aside from Cyborg vs. Kavanagh, no other fights have been formally announced by Bellator for the upcoming Bellator 271 event, but that could change in the coming weeks.
Cyborg is also the one and only ‘Grand Slam Champion’ with title reigns in four different organizations. She holds 20 wins against top fighters such as Holly Holm, Gina Carano, and Julia Budd.
The fight announcement comes just days after women’s featherweight contender Leah McCourt earned an impressive win over Jessica Borga at Bellator 267. She is more than likely next in line for the belt, but couldn’t make the quick turnaround against Cyborg.
Cyborg will have the chance to defend her belt once again and solidify herself further as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history, regardless of gender.
What are your thoughts on Cris Cyborg’s next fight against Sinead Kavanagh?