Cris Cyborg is still a free agent, enjoying her foray into boxing, but fully intends to return to the Bellator MMA promotion. Cyborg will face Gabrielle Holloway this weekend in her second pro boxing bout this year. Cyborg, although she has been fully focused on her boxing of late, still plans to compete in mixed martial arts again, as she discussed on The MMA Hour.
“I’m not done in MMA. MMA is my life and I love what I do. I’m the Bellator champion and for sure I’m going to defend my title. But the opportunity showed up. This is one of my dreams. When I did my first boxing fight it was my dream and just getting called, ‘Hey Cris, we’d like to have you on the card.’ So I just kept training and the opportunity came up and it was a dream come true.”
Cyborg Promises Bellator Return, Teases Harrison Superfight
Cyborg is still the Bellator featherweight champion despite currently having no contract with the organization. Despite this, Cyborg’s friendly relationship with Bellator CEO Scott Coker and her longstanding association with the promotion has many, including Cyborg herself, convinced that she will return .Just not yet.
“Not yet. After this fight I’m going to sit down and talk to Scott, but I’m Team Bellator.”
Of course, at this stage of her career, the biggest question for Cris Cyborg is what happens next. A superfight against PFL star Kayla Harrison has long been on many fans’ wish list, but Harrison’s recently loss against Larissa Pacheco may affect that. Harrison has two fights left on her PFL contract, and one assumes that an immediate rematch between Pacheco and Harrison will come first. Harrison vs Cyborg could happen one day, but for now, Cris Cyborg is hoping to fight Cat Zingano for her MMA return.
“I know [Harrison’s] got two fights left with the PFL. She can rematch Pacheco, she can fight Aspen Ladd — she just signed with the PFL — and then maybe she can come to Bellator.
“For me, I have a big fight next. Cat Zingano’s a big fight for me. She’s undefeated at 145, she beat Amanda Nunes, she beat Miesha Tate, and she beat a lot of good girls. I think she’s the next fight for me.”
When do you think we’ll see Cris Cyborg back in the Bellator fold? Will she tempt Kayla Harrison over from PFL when she returns? Let us know in the comments.
