Cris Cyborg's next fight date, venue, and opponent revealed - and it is not PFL's Larissa Pachecho
Cris Cyborg will trade the cage for the boxing ring on 27 April. Headlining Green Bay Fight Night at The Watering Hole in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Bellator featherweight champion faces Widnelly Figueroa.
The two-round, 10-ounce glove bout at 154 pounds marks Cyborg's second professional boxing fight of the year. In January, she demolished Kelsey Wickstrum just 81 seconds into the match. Figueroa, on the other hand, returns to the ring for the first time since 2017.
While Cyborg expressed her desire to fight Larissa Pacheco in an MMA matchup this June, limited scheduling options opened the door for this boxing encounter.
In a statement first posted on MMA Junkie, the Brazilian had this to say about her upcoming fight:
“I was hopeful to be fighting (Larissa) Pachecho in June, which gave me limited dates to pursue a Boxing fight. Figueroa is a tough opponent who has been in the ring with Boxing Olympians with a lot more experience than me. I have been training hard and am hoping to continue showing the improvements I am making in my Boxing skills… I’m working on my boxing techniques so that I am going to be able to deliver the type of fight-ending finishes fans want to see. I’m looking to bring excitement to Women’s Boxing like I’ve done in WMMA.”
This announcement comes amidst Cyborg's ongoing quest for an MMA fight following PFL's acquisition of Bellator. Her reign as Bellator featherweight champion saw five successful title defenses and a champion vs. champion clash with PFL champ Pacheco seemed like the next step. However, that fight remains elusive for Cyborg.
Cris Cyborg mocks Ronda Rousey's "greatest fighter" claim after concussion revelation
The long-standing feud between MMA stars Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey continues to simmer. Recently, Rousey opened up about her struggles with concussions during her fighting career, but her comments regarding her loss to Holly Holm drew a sharp response from Cyborg.
Rousey, a former UFC and WWE champion, has been making media appearances to discuss her past battles with concussions, a topic she hadn't previously addressed publicly. In one interview, she made some audacious claims that caught the attention of many, including Cyborg.
The friction ignited when Rousey, reflecting on her shocking defeat to Holly Holm at UFC 193, stated:
"I literally came into that fight concussed from slipping down some stairs already after all of these years of concussions. Then I had an absolutely terrible weight cut... I was out on my feet for the entire fight... But I know that, like, I'm the greatest fighter that has ever lived..."
Cyborg, the former UFC featherweight champion, wasn't buying Rousey's explanation. She quote-tweeted a clip of the interview on social media, adding her own scathing commentary. Cyborg wrote:
"Poor girl still suffering from CTE, I hope she finally got a good mouth guard."
Check out Cris Cyborg's post below: