Cris Cyborg facts for kids

Cristiane Justino Venâncio (born July 9, 1985), known professionally as Cris Cyborg, is a famous Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and boxer. She is a champion in Bellator MMA, holding the Women's Featherweight title since 2020. Cris Cyborg is also the first ever PFL Super Fights Women's Featherweight Champion.

She has won world championships in five major MMA organizations, making her the only fighter to achieve a "Grand Slam" in MMA. Many people consider Cris Cyborg to be one of the greatest female mixed martial artists of all time. She first became widely known when she won the Strikeforce title in 2009. She defeated Gina Carano by technical knock-out (TKO) in a historic fight, which was the first time women headlined a major MMA event.

Quick facts for kids Cris Cyborg
Cyborg at Web Summit 2019
Born	Cristiane Justino Venâncio (1985-07-09) July 9, 1985 (age 39) 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	4
Wins	4
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

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Cris Cyborg was born Cristiane Justino Venâncio on July 9, 1985. Her birthplace was Curitiba, Brazil. When she was twelve, Cristiane started playing handball. She became very good at it, even playing at a national level in Brazil.

Her success in handball helped her get many scholarships for college. She planned to become a professional handball player. However, a fighting trainer named Rudimar Fedrigo saw her. He was impressed by her physical strength. He suggested she try fighting instead. Cris Cyborg decided to give it a try. She liked it right away.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting Her MMA Journey

Cris Cyborg began her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career at age 19. Her first fight was on May 17, 2005. She lost this first fight, but it was her only loss for many years. After that, she quickly won her next four fights. Three of these wins were by TKO in the first round.

She made her debut in the United States on July 26, 2008. She won this fight by TKO in the second round. She continued to win, showing her strength and skill.

Becoming a Strikeforce Champion

Cyborg in 2009

Cris Cyborg then joined Strikeforce, a big MMA promotion. This made it possible for her to fight Gina Carano. Their fight was highly anticipated. On August 15, 2009, Cris Cyborg fought Gina Carano for the Women's Featherweight Championship. Cris Cyborg won by TKO in the first round. This event was very important because it was the first time women were the main fighters in a major MMA show. After the fight, she showed great respect for Carano.

She successfully defended her title two times. She beat Marloes Coenen in 2010 and Jan Finney later that year. Her contract with Strikeforce ended in 2011, but she signed a new one.

In December 2011, she fought Hiroko Yamanaka. Cris Cyborg won very quickly. However, the fight result was later changed to "no contest." This happened because she had a rule violation related to a substance. She was suspended for one year.

Dominating in Invicta FC

After Strikeforce closed, Cris Cyborg signed with Invicta Fighting Championships in 2013. She won her first fight back by TKO. She then faced Marloes Coenen again for the first-ever Invicta FC Featherweight Championship. Cris Cyborg won by TKO in the fourth round. This made her the first Invicta FC featherweight champion.

She also competed in Muay Thai during this time. She won a fight in 2013 by TKO. In 2014, she had a tough fight against Jorina Baars and lost by decision.

Cris Cyborg returned to MMA in 2015. She defended her Invicta Featherweight title against Charmaine Tweet. She won in less than a minute. She defended her title again against Faith Van Duin in July 2015, winning by TKO.

Becoming a UFC Champion

In March 2015, Cris Cyborg signed with the UFC. She made her UFC debut in May 2016. She won her first two UFC fights by TKO.

In March 2017, Cris Cyborg gave up her Invicta title. She wanted to fight for the vacant UFC Women's Featherweight Championship. On July 29, 2017, she fought Tonya Evinger at UFC 214. Cris Cyborg won by TKO in the third round. This made her a UFC champion.

She defended her UFC title against Holly Holm in December 2017. She won by unanimous decision in a very exciting fight. She defended her title again in March 2018 against Yana Kunitskaya, winning by TKO. After this win, she celebrated by giving out 222 burgers to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

In December 2018, Cris Cyborg faced Amanda Nunes. Nunes defeated Cyborg by knockout in the first round. This was Cris Cyborg's first knockout loss in her MMA career. Her last fight in the UFC was in July 2019, which she won by unanimous decision. After this fight, her contract ended, and she became a free agent.

Bellator MMA Reign

On September 3, 2019, Cris Cyborg signed a new deal with Bellator MMA. She fought Julia Budd for the Bellator Women's Featherweight Championship on January 25, 2020. Cris Cyborg won by TKO in the fourth round. This made her a champion in her fourth major MMA promotion.

She has successfully defended her Bellator title five times. She won her first defense by submission, which was her first submission win in MMA. She continued to win against tough opponents like Leslie Smith and Sinead Kavanagh. In April 2022, she defended her title again against Arlene Blencowe. After a break from MMA, she returned in October 2023 to defend her title against Cat Zingano, winning by TKO.

Professional Fighters League Champion

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

Boxing Career

Cris Cyborg also started a professional boxing career. Her first boxing match was on September 25, 2022. She won her debut fight by unanimous decision. In her second boxing match in December 2022, she won again by unanimous decision. This event set a record for the largest boxing audience in Nebraska.

Personal Life

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

In 2018, Cris Cyborg adopted her teenage niece. This made her the first mother to hold a UFC championship belt. She also works with "Fight for the Forgotten," a group that helps provide clean drinking water to communities in need. After getting her first submission victory in MMA, she earned her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

Championships and Accomplishments

Mixed Martial Arts Record Summary

Cris Cyborg has an impressive MMA record. She has won many fights by knockout or TKO, showing her powerful striking. She also has wins by submission and decision.

Muay Thai Record Summary

In Muay Thai, Cris Cyborg has a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. Both of her wins were by knockout or TKO.

2 Wins (2 (T)KO's), 1 Loss (1 Decision), 0 Draws
Result	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location
Loss	2–1	Jorina Baars	UD	Lion Fight 14	March 28, 2014	5	3:00	Las Vegas, Nevada
For inaugural Lion Fight Muay Thai Women's World Welterweight Championship.
Win	2–0	Jennifer Colomb	TKO	Lion Fight 11	September 20, 2013	3	0:54	Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	1–0	Edna Gloria	KO	Estimulo de Muay Thai	October 21, 2006	1	1:30	Curitiba, Paraná
Legend       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Grappling Record Summary

Cris Cyborg has also competed in grappling, which is a form of wrestling without strikes. She has a strong record of 7 wins and only 1 loss in her grappling matches.

8 Matches, 7 Wins (1 Submission), 1 Loss
Result	Rec	Opponent	Method	Event	Division	Type	Date	Location
Win	7–1	Venla Luukkonen	Points (11–0)	IBJJF World Championships (purple belt)	+74 kg	Gi	June 1, 2012	Long Beach, CA
Win	6–1	Hillary van Ornum	Points (4–0)
Win	5–1	Maia Matalon	Submission (armbar)
Win	4–1	Amanda Lucas	Points (8–0)	IBJJF World Championships (purple belt)	+74 kg	Gi	June 3, 2011	Long Beach, CA
Win	3–1	Sarah Draht	Points (16–0)
Win	2–1	Rosângela Conceição	Referee Decision	ADCC World Championships	+60 kg	Nogi	September 27, 2009	Barcelona
Loss	1–1	Penny Thomas	Negative Points (-2 -1)
Win	1–0	Ida Hansson	Points (10–0)				September 26, 2009

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Cris Cyborg has also stepped into the boxing ring. She has won all of her professional boxing matches so far.

See also

In Spanish: Cristiane Justino para niños

• List of current Bellator fighters
• List of current mixed martial arts champions
• List of female mixed martial artists