Cris Cyborg, born Cristiane Justino Venâncio on July 9, 1985, in Curitiba, Brazil, is a Brazilian-American professional mixed martial artist and boxer.
She is widely regarded as one of the greatest female fighters in MMA history.
Known professionally as Cris Cyborg, she has competed across multiple major promotions and achieved unprecedented success by becoming the only fighter, male or female, to capture world championships in five prominent organizations.
Siblings
Cris has at least one sibling, an older brother named Rafael Justino, who has been involved in combat sports himself.
Rafael, nicknamed “The Jackal,” pursued a professional MMA career with a record that included wins such as a TKO victory in Peru, and he has trained and collaborated closely with his sister, including running a training facility called The Rock in Colombo, Brazil, alongside her.
The siblings share a background in the Chute Boxe gym, where both earned black belts, reflecting a family connection to martial arts.
Career
Cris Cyborg began her athletic journey early, excelling in handball at a national level in Brazil starting around age twelve before transitioning to combat sports.
She was discovered and trained at the renowned Chute Boxe academy in Curitiba, where she developed her aggressive, powerful style.
Cyborg made her professional MMA debut in 2005 and quickly rose to prominence.
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She adopted the “Cyborg” nickname from her former husband, fellow fighter Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, whom she later divorced.
Her breakthrough came in 2009 when she defeated Gina Carano via first-round technical knockout to claim the Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Championship in a historic main event.
Cyborg went on to defend that title multiple times before capturing the Invicta FC Featherweight Championship.
She entered the UFC in 2016, where she became the inaugural UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion by defeating Tonya Evinger.
After a high-profile loss to Amanda Nunes in 2018, which ended a long unbeaten streak, she continued competing successfully in Bellator MMA, winning their Women’s Featherweight Championship, and later in the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where she became the inaugural PFL Women’s Featherweight World Champion.
Throughout her career, Cyborg has maintained an exceptional record dominated by knockouts, showcasing her striking power and dominance at 145 pounds despite challenges with weight cuts.
She has also ventured into professional boxing and remains active in combat sports.
Accolades
Cyborg is the only MMA fighter to hold world titles in Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC, Bellator, and PFL, making her the sole Quintuple Champion in the sport’s history.
Her championship reigns include the Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight title (won in 2009 against Gina Carano), Invicta FC Featherweight Championship, UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship (captured in 2016), Bellator Women’s Featherweight Championship, and the inaugural PFL Women’s Featherweight World Championship.
She boasts a professional MMA record with a high percentage of wins by knockout, numerous title defenses, and victories over elite opponents like Gina Carano, Holly Holm, and others.
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