Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has re-signed with Bellator on a multi-fight deal, hinting at a possible fight with top contender Cat Zingano.
Cris Cyborg is set to continue her journey with Bellator as the reigning featherweight champion has re-signed with the promotion on a multi-fight deal. Having been with the promotion since January 2020, Cyborg fought out her previous contract in April 2022. The news of her re-signing was announced via a press release on Thursday, and Cyborg herself hinted at a possible fight with top contender Cat Zingano on her social media.
Cyborg has performed exceptionally well in the Bellator cage, maintaining a record of 5-0, with all of her bouts being championship fights. She claimed the featherweight title from Julia Budd at Bellator 238 and has successfully defended it four consecutive times, most recently against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279. Before joining Bellator, Cyborg had championship reigns in the UFC, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce.
Expressing her satisfaction with the decision, Cyborg said, “After receiving multiple offers from several promotions I’m very happy that I was able to come to terms with Bellator and remain the face of their women’s featherweight division. Scott Coker is a promoter that I’ve worked with and respected for many years. He’s done so much to further women’s MMA and give us a platform to showcase our skills.” She further added, “When making this decision, it was important to me that I was signing with the organization that I felt had the biggest names and the top talent at 145 pounds for me to challenge myself against. There is no question that all the top female featherweights are signed with Bellator and I can’t wait to get back in there and defend my belt.”
The announcement did not disclose the number of fights Cyborg has committed to, nor revealed her first opponent under the new deal. Zingano and Sara McMann, who made a successful Bellator debut in April with a split decision win over Blencowe, are both prime candidates as they were previously title challengers in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Meanwhile, during her free agency, Cyborg participated in a couple of boxing bouts, defeating Simone Silva in September and Gabrielle Holloway in December.