Cris Cyborg contemplates long-awaited boxing match after MMA win

Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.

HONOLULU – Cris Cyborg has talked about it for years, but now she thinks it might finally be time for the wheels to be put in motion.

Following her Bellator 279 title defense win against Arlene Blencowe, Cyborg (25-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) expressed her interest in making her professional boxing debut next, a dream of hers for quite some time.

“For me, my next fight I’d like to do a boxing fight,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “It’s been one of my dreams. Maybe it’s going to be the next one I’m working on. I don’t know.

“I don’t know who is going to be next or who Bellator will put in front of me – Cat Zingano, Amanda Nunes, Kayla Harrison. I like to be the big shows for my fans and enjoy every time I step in there for the title.

“… I’ve been coaching and training boxing for one fight. I’m looking for one fight. I’ve done everything. I did wrestling. I did jiu-jitsu. I did a muay Thai fight. It’s the only one I haven’t done, is boxing. It’s one of my dreams.”

Cyborg confirmed talks have already been initiated for her jump across combat sports. She could see herself doing so at either 147 or 154 pounds.

Regardless of the when, where, and who, Bellator president Scott Coker said at a post-fight news conference of his own that he will allow Cyborg to take a boxing fight if that’s what she chooses. In fact, it’s built into her contract that she can do so.

“I think that’s really going to be up to her,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “I’ll be honest with you and I don’t want to get into too much detail, but it’s always been an agreement that we’ve had with her that she can box at any time in our contract with her.

“She box whether it was a year ago or eight months ago. She’s always had the ability to box in her agreement.”

Bellator 279 took place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center as part of a two-night doubleheader for the promotion in the same venue.