Cris “Cyborg” Justino is officially returning to the squared circle, but this time it’s for her first boxing match.
The current Bellator MMA women’s Featherweight champion announced today (Weds., Aug. 10, 2022) via press release that her next time out will be for a boxing match against Simone Silva (17-21) on Sept. 25, 2022, in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. The match will be a two-minute eight-round 154 pound contest, taking place at the Arena Da Baixada soccer stadium, the same venue Cyborg made her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in May 2016.
“Simone Silva is a former Brazilian national boxing champion who has boxed all over the world against some of the sport’s best female world champions while representing Brazil on the global stage,” Cyborg said via the release. “She has fought for a world championship in boxing four different times during her career and is a proven and durable veteran who is going to be a real challenge for my first experience inside of the boxing ring. I am excited to challenge myself in a completely different sport and see where my potential in boxing measures.”
Pre-sale tickets for the event will be available this Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. Cyborg will also hold an open media workout on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022, at 1 p.m. pacific time inside her private Huntington Beach, California training center.
Cyborg, 37, has been vocal about her interest in eventually taking her talents to the boxing ring. It won’t be the first time she’s ventured outside MMA, having competed in Muay Thai and grappling matches in the early 2010s.
Bellator and President, Scott Coker, have yet to issue a public response to the news of their champion moving on for the time being, but Cyborg insists the relationship between both parties is still intact.