Cris Cyborg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cris Cyborg
Cyborg at Web Summit 2019
Born	Cristiane Justino Venâncio (1985-07-09) July 9, 1985 (age 40) Curitiba, Brazil
Nationality	Brazilian American
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Division	Featherweight (MMA) Light middleweight (Boxing)
Reach	68 in (173 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	San Diego, California, U.S.
Team	Chute Boxe Academy The Arena MMA Atos Jiu-Jitsu RVCA Training Center Kings MMA
Trainer	Rudimar Fedrigo
Rank	Black Belt in Muay Thai under Rafael Cordeiro Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rubens 'Cobrinha' Charles
Years active	2005–present
Professional boxing record
Total	7
Wins	7
By knockout	5
Kickboxing record
Total	3
Wins	2
By knockout	2
Losses	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	31
Wins	28
By knockout	21
By submission	1
By decision	6
Losses	2
By knockout	1
By submission	1
No contests	1
Medal record Representing  Brazil Women's Submission grappling ADCC World Championship Bronze 2009 Barcelona +60kg Women's Brazilian jiu-jitsu World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Gold 2012 Long Beach +74kg (Purple) Gold 2011 Long Beach +74kg (Purple)
last updated on: March 27, 2014

Cristiane Justino Venâncio (born July 9, 1985), known as Cris Cyborg, is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and boxer. She competes in the PFL. She is the first and current PFL Super Fights Women's World Featherweight Champion.

Cris Cyborg was also the longest-reigning and last Women’s Featherweight World Champion in Bellator MMA. She has also held titles in the UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta FC. She is the only MMA fighter to win world championships in five major MMA organizations. Many people consider Cyborg to be one of the greatest female mixed martial artists ever.

She became famous on August 15, 2009. She won the Strikeforce title by defeating Gina Carano. This was a big moment as it was the first time women headlined a major fighting event.

Early Life and Sports

Cris Cyborg was born on July 9, 1985, in Curitiba, Brazil. Her parents were Brazilian. She started playing handball at age twelve. She played at a national level in Brazil.

Because she was so good at handball, she earned many scholarships for college. She chose to study physical education in Curitiba. She planned to become a professional handball player. However, a trainer named Rudimar Fedrigo noticed her. He was impressed by her physical strength. He suggested she try fighting.

Cris Cyborg said about starting her fighting career: "I was playing in a friendly handball tournament. One of the boys, Jorginho, knew Mestre Rafael and Mestre Rudimar. He saw me playing handball and asked if I liked fighting. I said I thought it was cool, but I had never done it. He invited me to a Muay Thai class, and I really liked it!"

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting Her Journey

Cris Justino, before she was known as "Cyborg," had her first professional MMA fight on May 17, 2005. She was 19 years old. She fought Erica Paes, a world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Cris lost this first fight. It was her only loss in MMA until 2018.

After her first fight, Cris Cyborg won her next match against Vanessa Porto. She then won three more fights in Brazil. She won these by TKO (technical knockout) in the first round.

She made her debut in the United States on July 26, 2008. She fought Shayna Baszler and won by TKO in the second round. She also defeated Yoko Takahashi by decision on October 4, 2008.

Strikeforce Success

Cyborg in 2009

Cris Cyborg then signed with Strikeforce. This made a fight with Gina Carano more likely. In her first Strikeforce fight, she faced Hitomi Akano on April 11, 2009. Cyborg won by TKO in the third round.

On August 15, 2009, she fought Gina Carano for the Women's Featherweight Championship. Cyborg won by TKO in the first round. This event was historic because it was the first time women were the main event in a major fighting promotion. After the fight, she showed great respect for Carano.

She defended her title against Marloes Coenen on January 30, 2010. She won by TKO in the third round. She also defended her title against Jan Finney on June 26, 2010, winning by KO in the second round.

A Challenge with a Banned Substance

On December 17, 2011, Cyborg fought Hiroko Yamanaka. She won by TKO very quickly. However, on January 6, 2012, it was announced that Cyborg had tested positive for a banned substance. Because of this, the fight result was changed to "no contest." Her license was suspended for one year.

Invicta Fighting Championships

After Strikeforce closed, Cyborg signed with Invicta Fighting Championships in 2013. She won her first fight back against Fiona Muxlow by TKO in the first round.

Cyborg then fought Marloes Coenen again for the first-ever Invicta FC Featherweight Championship. This happened on July 13, 2013. Cyborg won by TKO in the fourth round, becoming the first Invicta FC featherweight champion.

She defended her Invicta Featherweight title against Charmaine Tweet in February 2015. She won by TKO in less than a minute. She also defeated Faith Van Duin by TKO in July 2015.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In March 2015, Cyborg signed with the UFC. She made her UFC debut on May 14, 2016, against Leslie Smith. She won by TKO in the first round.

Cyborg fought Lina Länsberg on September 24, 2016, and won by TKO in the second round.

In March 2017, Cyborg gave up her Invicta featherweight title. She was set to fight for the vacant UFC Women's Featherweight Championship at UFC 214. Her opponent changed, and she ended up fighting Tonya Evinger. Cyborg won by TKO in the third round, claiming her first UFC championship.

She defended her UFC title against Holly Holm on December 30, 2017. She won by unanimous decision. This fight also earned her a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Cyborg defended her title again on March 3, 2018, against Yana Santos at UFC 222. She won by TKO in the first round. After this win, she celebrated by giving out 222 burgers to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

On December 29, 2018, Cyborg faced Amanda Nunes, who was the UFC Women's Bantamweight champion. Nunes defeated Cyborg by knockout in the first round. This was Cyborg's first knockout loss in her MMA career.

Cyborg's last fight in the UFC was against Felicia Spencer on July 27, 2019. She won by unanimous decision. After this fight, her contract with the UFC ended.

Bellator MMA

On September 3, 2019, Cris Cyborg signed a deal with Bellator MMA.

She fought Julia Budd for the Bellator Women's Featherweight Championship on January 25, 2020. She won by technical knockout in the fourth round. This made her a champion in her fourth major MMA promotion.

Cyborg defended her Bellator title against Arlene Blencowe on October 15, 2020. She won by submission in the second round. This was her first submission win in her MMA career.

She defended her title again against Leslie Smith on May 21, 2021. She won by TKO in the fifth round. Cyborg also defended her title against Sinead Kavanagh on November 12, 2021, winning by knockout in the first round.

On April 23, 2022, Cyborg defended her title in a rematch against Arlene Blencowe. She won by unanimous decision. After this, Cyborg became a free agent.

After being away from MMA for 17 months, Cyborg returned to defend her title against Cat Zingano on October 7, 2023. She won the fight by TKO in the first round.

Professional Fighters League

On October 19, 2024, Cyborg faced Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Women's Featherweight Superfight Championship. She won the fight by unanimous decision, becoming the first champion in this new division.

Boxing Career

Cris Cyborg started her professional boxing career on September 25, 2022. She fought Simone Silva and won by unanimous decision.

In her second boxing match on December 11, 2022, she fought Gabrielle Holloway. Cyborg won by unanimous decision. This event set a record for the largest boxing crowd in Nebraska.

On January 19, 2024, Cyborg knocked out Kelsey Wickstrum in the first round. This was her first knockout win in boxing. She then defeated Aria Wild by TKO on June 15, 2024.

After winning her PFL title, Cyborg returned to boxing on March 3, 2025. She defeated Karen Fernandez by knockout in the second round. Just 17 days later, she knocked out Valentina Angarita in the third round. On May 17, 2025, she earned her fifth overall knockout in boxing by stopping Precious Harris-McCray in the second round.

Personal Life

Cris Cyborg was married to fellow mixed martial artist Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. She adopted his nickname. They separated in December 2011. She became a U.S. citizen in 2016. In 2017, Cyborg announced her engagement to Ray Elbe, who is a trainer and former MMA athlete.

In 2018, Cyborg adopted her teenage niece. This made her the first mother to hold a UFC championship belt.

Cyborg also works with "Fight for the Forgotten." This group helps dig wells to provide clean drinking water for the Batwa people. After her first submission victory in MMA, she earned her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

Championships and Achievements

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Images for kids

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  Cyborg in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Cristiane Justino para niños