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Former UFC and Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg may be even closer to one of her dream pairings now that the Professional Fighters League has acquired Bellator.
Cris Cyborg hasn’t forgotten about Kayla Harrison
Since the Brazilian has always been interested in taking on former PFL champion and Olympic gold medallist Kayla Harrison, Cris Cyborg believes the could not be better to make the fight finally happen. In an interview with Combate, the 38-year-old explained how she is looking for a big last fight to finish her career and a match against the judoka star may be just right.
“We’ve building up that fight for three years. We’ve been trying to make this fight with Kayla Harrison happen. Me and my team have talked and we think that should be our next fight. I’m in a moment in my career in which we’re trying to finish it in the best way possible and I see that she’s a big name. We’ve been building up that rivalry between the two of us for a while, three years. I think that’s a fight everyone would like to see.”
“I talked to my team, we want to do big fights and I think that Kayla Harrison should be next. Cat Zingano was a great fight, I could have finished my career with that one, but I think Kayla Harrison is another great one. I could finish my career after that, too.”
Cris Cyborg praises Pacheco, but wants Harrison first
Although the current PFL featherweight champion is not Kayla Harrison but Larissa Pacheco, Cris Cyborg says she is still more interested in taking the judoka rather than her fellow countrywoman. Although she praises Pacheco for her accomplishments, the former UFC champion feels like she has invested too much time into the Harrison match for it not to happen.
“I’m not saying Kayla is above Larissa. I’m only saying we’ve been promoting that fight for three years. Larissa is the champion, she’s been claiming her space in MMA. She has won her belts. I think there are still a bunch of people she can fight in order to promote a fight with me. I think it’s important to promote a fight so people get interested in watching it.”
“I’m not trying to undermine Larissa’s work. She’s also trying to conquer her place in the sun. She’s the new generation of women’s MMA. I can see that in the way they both (Kayla and Larissa) promote their fights.”
Cyborg hasn’t lost since 2018
Currently on a seven-fight win streak, Cris Cyborg (27-2-1 NC) finished her Bellator career by winning and defending her belt five consecutive times, with wins over Julia Budd, Arlene Blencowe (twice), Leslie Smith and Cat Zingano. The 38-year-old’s last loss took place in December 2018, when she got knocked out byf former UFC double champion Amanda Nunes.
Meanwhile, Kayla Harrison (16-1) has just recently bounced back from her first ever loss when she scored a unanimous decision win over Aspen Ladd, back in November of this year. The 33-year-old’s only professional defeat happened in November 2022, when she dropped a unanimous decision to Larissa Pacheco.
