Cris Cyborg (30-2, 1 NC) has walked back her retirement plans, saying she can’t step away from MMA while women’s featherweight remains absent from other major promotions.
“I’m not ready to retire… Not yet. If I walked away today, there would be no major MMA promotion with a women’s 145 lb division. That’s unacceptable. I’ve always wanted my legacy to be about the opportunities I helped create for other women, just as much as the titles and records I earned myself,” Cyborg said.
Cyborg had appeared to finish her MMA career with a unanimous decision win over Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa in August, an event that had been promoted as her retirement fight.
Since then, Cyborg has continued exploring potential fights, recently offering to “save” UFC 332 with a rematch against Amanda Nunes, who knocked her out in their first meeting at UFC 232 in 2018.
Cyborg has also attracted interest from BKFC. Women’s champion Christine Ferea has called her out, while BKFC president David Feldman said both he and Conor McGregor are interested in bringing Cyborg to the promotion.
Cyborg has not announced her next opponent or promotion, but her latest comments make clear that she is not ready to end her MMA career.