Cris Cyborg Re-Signs with Bellator MMA

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cris Cyborg is staying put…

Bellator MMA has announced that it has re-signed the 37-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, one of the greatest women’s MMA fighters of all time, to a new, multi-fight contract.

Cyborg had been a free agent since last summer, though she has remained the Bellator women’s featherweight champion. She competed in two boxing matches during her time out of contract, winning both.

While Cyborg returning to Bellator has always been the most likely scenario, she was entertaining other opportunities and even attended a PFL event in person recently.

PFL has been trying to make a huge fight between Cyborg and two-time PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison for more than a year.

Cyborg re-signing with Bellator doesn’t necessarily completely harpoon that fight, because PFL has expressed a willingness to co-promote with Bellator to make it happen.

“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 a statement. “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.”

Bellator did note in its news release that Cyborg re-signing sets her up for title defenses against Cat Zingano and Sara McMann, two former UFC title challengers who are undefeated since signing with the promotion.

Cyborg (26-2, 1 NC) has lost just once since her pro debut in 2005, a knockout defeat to UFC double champion Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in December 2018. She lives and trains in California and has been Bellator women’s featherweight champion since 2020 and has four successful title defenses. Cyborg is the only fighter to ever win championships in four different major promotions: the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce and Invicta FC.

ESPN has her ranked No. 4 pound-for-pound in its women’s MMA rankings.

Irene Aldana to Fight Raquel Pennington in Rematch at UFC Fight Night in May

Posted on April 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Irene Aldana is readying for a rematch…

The 35-year-old Mexican professional mixed martial artist will meet Raquel Pennington in a rematch on May 20 in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card in Las Vegas, with the next UFC women’s bantamweight No. 1 contender likely to be decided with that fight.

Aldana and Pennington fought in July 2019, with Pennington winning a split decision.

ESPN has Pennington ranked No. 3 and Aldana ranked No. 6 in the world at women’s bantamweight.

The champion in that weight class, Amanda Nunes, will defend her title in a trilogy fight with Julianna Peña at UFC 289 on June 10 in Vancouver.

The Pennington vs. Aldana winner will likely fight the victor in that bout.

Pennington (15-8) has won five straight. The Colorado native has not lost since a 2020 bout with former champ Holly Holm. Pennington, 34, has the most bouts in UFC women’s bantamweight history (16).

Aldana (14-6) has won two in a row and four of her past five. The Mexican-born fighter is coming off a knockout of Macy Chiasson at UFC 279 in September.

Aldana has won seven of her past nine fights overall.

Amanda Nunes Defeats Julianna Peña to Reclaim UFC Women’s Bantamweight Title

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a case of sweet revenge for Amanda Nunes…

The 34-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist defeated Julianna Peña via a dominant unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-43) in the main event of UFC 277 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center.

Nunes had vowed to make changes in her game and get her belt back after shockingly losing it seven months ago to Peña.

With the victory, Nunes, the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history, reclaimed the UFC women’s bantamweight title she lost to Peña at UFC 269 in December.

“The lioness, if they don’t get the prey the first time, I set the trap and I know I’d get it the second time,” Nunes said in her postfight interview.

Nunes said this fight was all about “strategy” and that the key was her going southpaw. Then, when Peña got comfortable on the feet, Nunes said she started to go for the takedowns.

“The main thing was my southpaw,” Nunes said. “I know I was gonna catch her with that tonight. I knew she was not gonna be able to adjust to that. She’s not a striker. … She was so confused. I’m not very good yet with my southpaw. I told my coach, ‘I’m gonna see how I feel.’ I tried tonight, and I felt good.”

Nunes dropped Peña with a check right hook out of the southpaw stance several times in the early rounds. As the fight wore on, Nunes began using her wrestling to take Peña down over and over, then cut her up from top position with slicing elbows.

Peña had several bad cuts on her face after the fourth round. Nunes nearly had a rear-naked choke finish in the fifth, but Peña was incredibly tough and fought it off.

Nunes had moments where she might have been able to finish the fight but perhaps didn’t want to make the mistake she did in the first fight, where she got tired after trying to finish Peña in the first round.

“Julianna is tough as nails,” UFC president Dana White said. “Her will to win is second to none. She wanted to win. As dominant as Amanda was, and she was dominant tonight — I don’t think it was close in any way, shape or form; I thought it was a complete shutout — she still looked a little gun shy to me.

“She had Julianna hurt many times, had her on crazy legs many times and never really went in for the kill.”

After the first fight, Nunes left her longtime gym, American Top Team, and moved into a private facility she has dubbed Lioness Studio. She trained under coach Roger Krahl, who was in her corner for some of her biggest fights, like the knockout of Ronda Rousey.

“The best thing I did was make my gym,” Nunes said. “In my gym, I feel like I’m safe. I feel like I can grow and evolve.”

In the second round, Nunes knocked Peña down three times, setting the record for most knockdowns in a round ever among women in the UFC, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Overall, Nunes outlanded Peña 85-60 in significant strikes and took Peña down six times in eight attempts.

Nunes’ 15 UFC wins is the most among women in UFC history. This was her 10th title fight win, the most among women in UFC history and fifth best overall. Nunes is the first woman in the UFC to regain the bantamweight title after losing it.

Saturday’s fight was the 13th immediate rematch ever in the UFC after one fighter took the belt from another. Saturday marked just the third time in those instances that a fighter reclaimed the title. Randy Couture did it against Vitor Belfort in 2004 and Deiveson Figueiredo did it this past January over Brandon Moreno.

Judges Douglas Crosby and Sal D’Amato each scored the second round 10-8 for Nunes, while Crosby also scored the fifth 10-8 for Nunes. The other judge, Jacob Montalvo, did not score a 10-8 in any round.

Coming in, ESPN had Nunes ranked No. 2 and Peña ranked No. 4 on its pound-for-pound women’s MMA list. At bantamweight, Peña was No. 1 and Nunes was No. 2.

Nunes (22-5) was on a 12-fight winning streak before losing to Peña, with wins during that stretch over the likes of Ronda Rousey, Cris Cyborg, Miesha Tate and Holly Holm. The Brazilian slugger, who trains out of South Florida, is also the UFC women’s featherweight champion.

Nunes, 34, is the first UFC fighter to defend two titles in separate weight classes concurrently — and has seven title.

Ketlen Vieira Defeats Former UFC Champion Holly Hunt

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ketlen Vieira is proving she’s a title contender…

The 30-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist improved to 3-1 in her past four fought contests on Saturday, as she outpointed former champion Holly Holm (14-6) in a five-round main event to make her a new contender for the UFC‘s women’s bantamweight division title.

The 135-pound fight was very close. Two judges scored it 48-47 for Vieira, while a third had it 48-47 for Holm.

The victory could very well place Vieira (13-2) next in line for a title shot.

Current champion Julianna Peña will defend her belt against Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 on July 30. That bout is a rematch of their shocking title fight in December, which Peña won via submission in the second round.

Vieira has built her title résumé off two former champions. Prior to Saturday’s win over Holm, she took out another former champ in Miesha Tate in November.

Holm is a Hall of Fame professional boxer, but it was Vieira’s hands that appeared to be more dangerous on Saturday. She found her distance with the straight right hand as the fight progressed, scoring on Holm at range — where Holm is usually strongest. Vieira’s success at range actually forced Holm to close distance, which Vieira used to her advantage at times by landing counter rights.

Holm’s best work actually came in the clinch, which she tried to apply throughout the fight. According to UFC Stats, she accumulated over 10 minutes of control time by holding Vieira against the fence, where she landed short knees and punches. She out-landed Vieira in total strikes 188 to 122, but many of those short shots along the fence did not carry much weight.

Holm did score one knockdown with a sidekick to Vieira’s body in the fourth round, and she landed a pair of powerful front kicks in the fifth. Vieira’s offense was just heavier, however. She also nearly submitted Holm in the second round with a standing rear-naked choke, after Holm got careless in a takedown attempt.

For Holm, the loss snaps a two-fight win streak. The Albuquerque native had been knocking on the door of her first title fight since 2019, when she suffered a first-round knockout to Nunes.

Ketlen Vieira Foils Miesha Tate’s Comeback with Unanimous Decision Win

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ketlen Vieira has foiled Miesha Tate’s comeback…

The 30-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist defeated Tate, one of the most popular women’s fighters in MMA history, via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Vieira used her counterpunching and length to win the standup battle and bloody Tate badly in the fifth and final round.

“That’s what I’m here for — I’m here to fight the best,” Vieira said through an interpreter. “Respect my skills.”

ESPN had Vieira ranked No. 8 in the world at women’s bantamweight entering Saturday.

Tate is the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion who returned after a five-year layoff in July with a TKO win over Marion Reneau. With a victory, Tate was hoping to earn a title shot against old rival Amanda Nunes, but she will have to go back to the drawing board.

“I’ve always dreamed about being in a main event against a legend,” said Vieira. “To be able to live that moment and get a victory, I don’t have words to express.”

The fight had many close rounds. Vieira admitted she was hesitant early on. Tate was the aggressor and landed hard shots in the early rounds. Vieira, though, always seemed to have an answer on the counter. The first round was a tossup, with both women landing big right hands. In the second, Vieira started to get into more of a rhythm, landing combinations.

Vieira kept that momentum in the third round, landing a beautiful right uppercut-left hook combination several times. Tate rebounded in a solid fourth round, landing a hard right hand at the round’s outset and then a takedown later on. Vieira really got off again with her punching combos in the fifth round, blasting Tate and making her bloody with a big right hand. By the end of the fight, Tate had a swollen left eye, bloody nose and lumped up face.

“The real thing is about enjoying the journey,” Tate said. “This is just a moment in time, you guys. We all have moments in our life. … What else can I say? I get to go home and kiss my two kids. Life is great.”

Tate was transported to the hospital after the fight for a CT scan on her head and face, according to UFC.

Vieira said she will be in Las Vegas for 10 more days and would love to work with Tate in the gym while she is in town.

“I’d love to have the chance and opportunity to train with her. She’s a legend,” Vieira said. “I look up to her.”

Added Vieira: “Miesha Tate is a world champion. She’s one of the best fighters in the world.”

Vieira (12-2) came in having lost two of her past three fights, most recently a unanimous decision loss to Yana Kunitskaya in February. She is now 2-2 in her past four. The Brazil native was 10-0 prior to this recent stretch. Vieira, 30, owns career wins over Cat Zingano and Sara McMann.

Tate (19-8) returned from retirement July 17 with a third-round TKO win over Reneau — Tate’s first-ever KO/TKO in UFC. The Washington native, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, retired in November 2016 after back-to-back losses to Nunes and Raquel Pennington.

Only Nunes has more wins in the UFC women’s bantamweight division since 2016 than Vieira, who has six victories during that span, tied with Irene Aldana and Pennington.

Tate, 35, won the UFC women’s bantamweight title at UFC 196 in March 2016 with a fifth-round submission win over Holly Holm and lost it to Nunes at UFC 200 four months later. “Cupcake” is also known for her well-publicized feud with Ronda Rousey, which included two grudge matches.

Cris Cyborg to Defend Bellator Featherweight Title Against Sinead Kavanagh

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cris Cyborg is going on the defensive…

The 36-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, one of Bellator’s top stars, will defend her belt next month.

Bellator president Scott Coker announced on The MMA Hour that Cyborg will defend her women’s featherweight title against Sinead Kavanagh on November 12 in Hollywood, Florida.

Cyborg (24-2, 1 NC) is one of the greatest women’s fighters in MMA history.

The Brazil native, who fights out of California, is 3-0 in Bellator, beating Julia Budd for the women’s featherweight title in January 2020.

Cyborg has lost just once since her pro debut in 2005, to UFC double champion Amanda Nunes.

Cyborg is the only MMA fighter to win titles in four major promotions: UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator and Invicta FC.

Kavanagh (7-4) has won two in a row. The 35-year-old Ireland native, who trains out of SBG Ireland (Conor McGregor’s team in Dublin), is coming off a unanimous decision win over Katharina Lehner in October 2020.

Ketlen Viera to Fight Former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate in October

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ketlen Vieira is preparing for the main event…

The 3-0year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist will fight former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate is back in the main event.

Viera and Tate, one of the most popular women’s MMA fighters ever, will headline a UFC Fight Night on October16 in Las Vegas, according to the UFC .

ESPN has Vieira ranked No. 8 in the world at women’s 135 pounds, and this is Tate’s chance to climb the divisional ladder again. “Cupcake” made her return from retirement after five years away with an impressive,third-round TKO over Marion Reneau in July.

Tate vs. Vieira had been targeted by the UFC for several weeks, but the announcement was pending Vieira signing the bout agreement, which happened Thursday, according to Vieira’s Instagram.

Tate (19-7) headlined UFC 200 in July 2016 against current women’s bantamweight and women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. The Washington native, who fights out of Las Vegas, stepped away from competition after a loss to Raquel Pennington four months after that, taking an executive position with ONE Championship in Singapore.

Tate,announced she’d be returning to the UFC last March — and was seeking a future chance to challenge for the title she lost to Nunes five years ago.

Vieira (11-2) has dropped two of her last three fights after starting her career 10-0. The Brazil native most recently lost to Yana Kunitskaya via unanimous decision in February. Vieira owns UFC wins over Cat Zingano, Sara McMann and Sijara Eubanks.

Amanda Nunes to Defend Title Against Julianna Pena in December

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Amanda Nunes is set to defend her title in December…

The 33-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist has been scheduled for her bantamweight title defense against Julianna Pena for UFC 269 on December 11, according to the UFC.

Nunes (21-4) was supposed to face Pena (10-4) at UFC 265 earlier this month in Houston, but was forced to withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19. The UFC has not announced an official venue for the UFC 265 pay-per-view event, but it is likely to take place in Las Vegas.

Originally from Brazil, now fighting out of South Florida, Nunes is the UFC‘s 135- and 145-pound champion. ESPN ranks her the No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter in the world.

She has not fought since she defended her featherweight title against Megan Anderson in March. She is on a 12-fight win streak.

Pena, of Spokane, Washington, is a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality series and holds a 6-2 overall record in the UFC. She earned a title shot by defeating Sara McMann via submission in January.

Cris Cyborg Defeats Leslie Smith by TKO to Defend Bellator Women’s Featherweight Title

Posted on May 22, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cris Cyborg is keepin’ her title..

The 35-year-old Brazilian mixed martial, whose real name is Cristiane Justino Venâncio,

defended her Bellator women’s featherweight title, beating Leslie Smith by TKO at 4 minutes, 51 seconds of the fifth round in the main event of Bellator 259 on Friday night at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut.

It was a rematch of a 2016 bout that Cyborg finished via TKO in just 1:21.

Known for her violent, quick finishes, Cyborg previously had been deeper than the third round only three times in her career. Smith is only the second fighter to take Cyborg into the fifth round, joining former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm.

ESPN has Cyborg ranked No. 3 on its women’s MMA pound-for-pound list. Her only loss since her pro debut in 2005 came against Amanda Nunes, the UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion.

In their first fight at UFC 198 five years ago, Smith disputed the stoppage as being too early. She got some measure of vindication Saturday night, but the outcome wasn’t really ever in doubt.

Cyborg dominated every round, landing big combinations and several impactful suplexes that sent Smith hard to the mat. Cyborg dropped Smith in four out of five rounds with punches. Many of Cyborg’s former opponents have folded after feeling her power, but Smith didn’t until the closing seconds.

“I knew she’s tough,” Cyborg said in her postfight interview. “I knew. I’ve met her before. I know her. I really respect her. She’s a real fighter.” With time expiring in the fifth round, Cyborg landed a crushing right hand that dropped Smith. She then followed up with big punches on the ground. Smith turned over and covered up, but Cyborg continued the onslaught, and referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and waved it off.

Afterward, Cyborg called out former UFC title challenger Cat Zingano for her next title defense. Zingano is 2-0 in Bellator and coming off a finish last month.

Cyborg (24-2, 1 NC) picked up her second Bellator title defense Saturday night. The Brazil native, who trains out of Southern California, has won four straight overall. She has 19 career wins via KO/TKO in 24 victories. Cyborg is the only fighter in MMA history to win titles in four major promotions: UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce and Invicta FC.

Cris Cyborg to Defend Bellator Women’s Featherweight Title in Rematch Against Leslie Smith

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cris Cyborg is ready for her next challenger…

The 35-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, whose real name is Cristiane Justino Venâncio, will put her Bellator women’s featherweight title on the line against Leslie Smith on May 21.

Cyborg beat Smith in 2016 in what was Cyborg’s UFC debut. Cyborg (23-2, 1 NC) is one of the best female fighters of all time. She is coming off a second-round submission win over Arlene Blencowe last October. That was Cyborg’s first title defense.

Cyborg stopped Julia Budd by fourth-round TKO in January 2020 to win the title. That victory made Cyborg the first fighter to win titles in four major promotions: UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce and Invicta.

Since 2005, Cyborg has been defeated only by UFC double champion Amanda Nunes. Cyborg left the UFC when her contract expired in 2019 after a rocky tenure.

Smith (12-8-1) has won four of her past five fights. The California native is coming off a unanimous decision over Amanda Bell last September.

Smith was finished by Cyborg in 1:21 at UFC 198 on May 14, 2016, but disputed that, saying it was an early stoppage.

She is best known for her attempts to organize MMA fighters, who don’t have a union or association.

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