Cris Cyborg has just two fights remaining in her legendary MMA career, and one of them is rapidly approaching.
Cyborg (28-2) will clash with Sara Collins (6-0) for the inaugural PFL women’s featherweight championship at PFL Lyon on Dec. 13 at LDLC Arena in France (ESPN App). It’s her chance at a sixth different major MMA title and second under the PFL banner after beating Larissa Pacheco for a super fight belt in October 2024.
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The former UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce titleholder has been consistently dominant for more than 20 years. Few others have a career that stacks up, but when people call Cyborg the greatest female of all-time, she doesn’t boast her chest. Instead, she meets it with humility.
“I don’t feel anything,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie. “I just put forth the work. You know the saying: If you do the action, people are going to watch, and they’re going to see. Anybody can speak. I can speak myself, or everybody can speak that I’m the GOAT, but what did you do for the sport? Let’s ask ChatGPT. I don’t feel. I just keep training hard. I believe my journey isn’t finished. I’m still going and going to keep working hard and keep accomplishing more and more.”
Cyborg’s desire to keep raising the bar has pushed her to the ultimate limits. She’s only lost twice – in her MMA debut in May 2005 then to Amanda Nunes in a high-profile UFC title fight in December 2018.
Other than that, Cyborg has run shop against nearly every woman that has crossed her path. At 40, however, the story in MMA is soon coming to an end. This will be the penultimate fight of her PFL deal, and she has no intentions of staying in this part of the sport once the final obligation is complete.
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She will wrap up combat sports overall in 2026 and intends to close it out in an exemplary way.
“Starting in my last fight, we started the legacy tour,” Cyborg said. “Now this against Sara Collins. Last one is next year in MMA, but I love my job. I love what I do. For me, it’s amazing. I have the opportunity to defend a fifth title in my career. For me, I look at it like it’s challenge No. 1 and contender No. 1 for the title. It keeps me humble, keeps me training, and I’m very grateful.
“I have my last fight on my contract with PFL next year. This is going to be my final fight in MMA. I’m going to complete 21 years in the sport and probably do some boxing fights next year. I will train hard and hopefully have the opportunity to fight for a title in boxing, but next year is going to be the last year for Cris Cyborg.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: What Cris Cyborg values most ahead of penultimate MMA fight
