Cris Cyborg re-signs with Bellator on multi-fight deal

Cris Cyborg is sticking with Bellator.

The promotion announced Thursday via press release that the reigning featherweight champion has re-signed with Bellator on a multi-fight deal. Cyborg (26-2, 1 NC) has been with the promotion since January 2020 and returns after fighting out her previous contract in April 2022.

Cyborg also shared the news on her social media and hinted at a possible fight with top contender Cat Zingano.

Cyborg is 5-0 in the Bellator cage, with all of her bouts being championship fights. She won 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. Prior to signing with Bellator, Cyborg had championship reigns in the UFC, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce.

“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,” Cyborg said in the press release. “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.

“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.”

Thursday’s announcement did not disclose how many fights Cyborg has committed to, nor who the first opponent of her new deal will be. Zingano is a prime candidate having won her first four Bellator bouts, as is Sara McMann who made a successful Bellator debut this past April with a split decision win over Blencowe.

Both potential contenders were previously title challengers in the UFC’s bantamweight division.

During her MMA free agency, Cyborg competed in a pair of boxing bouts, defeating Simone Silva via decision this past September and then following that performance with a win over Gabrielle Holloway the following December.