For the last two years the clock has been ticking on women’s MMA pioneer Cris Cyborg’s fighting career, ever since she announced that 2026 would be her final year of competition. But now the fearsome striker is walking back what sounded like very firm plans to leave sports and become a veterinarian, and it comes down to Jake Paul’s involvement.
In a new interview with MMA Junkie Radio, Cyborg explained where she was at and refused to commit to a plan of action one way or another.
“This could be my
last fight, but this is my last fight in my [PFL] contract,” she said. “I’m really focused on Ketlen Vieira [on August 22nd], but I’m not sure what’s going to happen after. These last two years, I’ve been saying maybe it can be my last year, and I have a lot of projects after I retire. But this is going to be my last fight in my contract.”
“Maybe [I’ll keep fighting]. I’m not sure it’s going to happen.”
“I know I’m fighting better than [when I was] 21 years. I feel better at 41 than 21. I train smart, I recover. I do everything for me, so I can compete on a higher level, continue to compete at a higher level at 41 years of age. I’m very grateful. I just focus now on this fight. I know anything could happen.”
Cyborg has spent the last six years fighting the best WMMA competition available outside the UFC. Unfortunately for her, that leaves her with names like Larissa Pacheco, Cat Zingano, Leslie Smith, and Julia Budd. Missing are the true marquee opponents: a rematch with Amanda Nunes (the only person to beat her in 20 years), a fight with Kayla Harrison, or the great whale Ronda Rousey.
Even in boxing, Cyborg hasn’t been able to gain any traction or fight top talent. Whenever there’s a big fight to be had, like with Claressa Shields, her opponent has a hundred reasons why it shouldn’t happen. But with Jake Paul’s MVP merging with PFL at the end of the year, Cyborg sounds hopeful that massive things could happen.
“It was amazing what happened with MVP merging with PFL,” she said. “I think then, together, we can be strong. It can be amazing for mixed martial arts. Even Jake Paul is saying, ‘If you guys are free agents, come to me, I’m going to make you make money.’ So let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Cyborg defends her women’s featherweight title against Vieira on August 22nd in the main event of PFL Tampa.
