Cris Cyborg reverses her retirement: without her, no major MMA promotion would have a women's 145 lb division
Cris Cyborg is not retiring after all. A month after beating Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa in a fight billed as her farewell, the 30-2 featherweight announced on social media that she will keep fighting. Her reason is not a rematch or a payday but a division: if she left, she says, no major MMA promotion would still have a women’s 145 lb class.
Key takeaways
- Cris Cyborg announced on social media this week that she is not retiring, a month after PFL Tampa was sold as her last fight.
- She beat Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision on August 22 in a fight for the PFL women's featherweight title, and her record stands at 30-2.
- Her argument: without her, no major MMA promotion would have a women's featherweight division, which she calls unacceptable.
Cris Cyborg changes her mind
A farewell that was never quite one
The PFL billed its August 22 card in Tampa as Cyborg’s retirement fight. She never used the word herself: before the fight, she only said her contract was ending. She then beat Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision with the PFL women’s featherweight title on the line.
The announcement
This week she posted that she is not ready to retire. The message is not about a specific opponent. It is about what would disappear if she left.
The record she keeps extending
At 30-2, Cyborg became the first fighter to win titles in 5 major promotions, and her only 2 losses came in her professional debut in 2005 and against Amanda Nunes in 2018.
Why the women's featherweight division is her argument
A division that barely exists
Her point is simple: if she walked away, no major MMA promotion would have a women’s 145 lb division. The UFC no longer runs one, and the PFL title is the one she holds.
The comparison with boxing
She compares MMA with women’s boxing, where fighters have several weight classes and real choices. In MMA, she writes, women remain limited, and she presents her comeback as a way of keeping one door open.
What she does not say
No opponent, date or promotion was announced with the message. The contract question raised before Tampa is still open.
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.
What comes next for Cris Cyborg
The MVP era
The PFL merged with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and moves under the MVP banner in 2027. That is the most obvious home for her, but nothing has been signed publicly.
The names being mentioned
Media coverage of her decision points to a rematch with Amanda Nunes or a first fight with Ronda Rousey, who beat Gina Carano on MVP’s first MMA card. Neither has been booked.
Follow the division with real numbers
Cyborg’s full record, finish rate and our ratings of the women’s featherweights are in the FightHub app. Download it to follow her next booking when it lands.
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