Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Now that Cris Cyborg is no longer part of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) the former women’s featherweight titleholder is free to sign with any promotion she wants.
Cyborg, 34, had a rough falling out with UFC following her most recent victory over Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 last month. Public spats with UFC president Dana White and altered video footage by her team left Cyborg in a bad place with the premier MMA promotion. As a result, White and company decided to cut ties with Cyborg and not match any contract offer she may receive on the open market.
While Bellator MMA and president Scott Coker, who has a good relationship with Cyborg from their days under the Strikeforce banner, seem like a good landing spot for the Brazilian star, we really don’t know where the former UFC champion will end up. And it’s not like Cyborg is giving fight fans any clues, as she recently discussed her plans to sign with a “secret” organization within the next 30 days.
“I’m happy to begin a new project,” Cyborg told Globo Esporte. “I’ve been through various cycles that have a beginning, a middle and an end. There was Invicta, the UFC and now I begin a new cycle. In less than 30 days, I’ll sign my new contract and then I’ll tell where my new home is. It’s a secret, but we’re almost there.”
While these comments from Cyborg don’t give us much to lean on it’s good to know that the 34-year-old fighter is close to signing on with another promotion. That could mean a stint with Bellator to challenge current featherweight champion Julia Budd or even a stopover at Professional Fighters League (PFL) to take on surging MMA standout and former Olympic Judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison, who recently called Cyborg out.
Maybe Cyborg will follow former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez and take her talents overseas to ONE Championship.
Wherever Cyborg happens to land you better believe she’s going to have a chip on her shoulder after her highly-publicized fallout with UFC. That doesn’t bode well for any of her potential opponents, including the likes of Budd and Harrison.
Stick with Mania as more news on Cyborg’s new landing spot is revealed.