Cris Cyborg will have a unique chance to enter the history books at Bellator 238 on January 25. Cyborg will debut against Julia Budd in a match for the featherweight title. Should Cyborg win, she would become the first person to ever win belts in Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC, and Bellator.
Or a “Grand Slam Champion,” as Cris Cyborg calls it
“To me holding all four of those belts would be something special,” Cyborg told BJPENN.com.
“It would signify the entire eras of my career. There was a time when Strikeforce was the biggest place for WMMA. Scott Coker built stars like myself, Ronda [Rousey], Miesha [Tate], Amanda Nunes, and GDR [Germaine de Randamie]. Once Strikeforce was closed, Invicta became the premier organization for women. They had stars like Michelle Waterson, Paige VanZant, Claudia Gadelha, Aspen Ladd and Rose Namajunas making a new generation of talent.”
“I never imagined I would fight in the UFC. When they finally made the featherweight division and I earned my shot at their world title after two incredibly difficult cuts to 140 pounds, it felt like I had overcome the impossible of making the division for all the women who are going to want to safely compete in the future without extreme weight cutting,” Cyborg added.
“With Bellator, I see them as having the only true featherweight division in the sport. Besides Julia Budd, they have Arlene Blencowe, Cat Zingano, Sinead Kavanagh and several other female fighters ranked in the top 10 in the world at 145 pounds. I want to make history as the only Grand Slam Champion in MMA.”
“I think my legacy is established. My fans are wanting to see me fight. I am motivated to fight,” she explained. “I have made a lot of history in my career. And, would love to keep turning my dreams into my memories and giving fans fights that entertain them.”
Cris Cyborg holds an MMA record of 21 wins, 2 losses, and a draw, with 17 of her wins coming via KO. The 34-year old Brazilian also has kickboxing experience, having 2 wins and 1 loss, again both wins via knockout.
