Cris Cyborg remains one of the most dominant women’s MMA fighters ever, closing out her legendary career in 2026 as the reigning PFL Women’s Featherweight World Champion.
Cris Cyborg’s Biography
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Cristiane Justino Venâncio |
| Nickname | Cyborg |
| Date of Birth | July 9, 1985 |
| Age | 41 years |
| Birthplace | Curitiba, Brazil |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | Brazilian-American |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight Class | Featherweight (MMA) / Light Middleweight (Boxing) |
| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) |
| Gym/Team | Kings MMA, The Arena MMA, Chute Boxe Academy, Atos Jiu-Jitsu |
| Professional Debut | May 17, 2005 (Show Fight 2 vs. Erica Paes) |
| Current Ranking | PFL Women’s Featherweight World Champion; only Quintuple Champion in MMA history |
| MMA Record | 29 wins, 2 losses, 1 no contest |
| Net Worth | USD 8-12 million |
| Marital Status | Engaged |
| Fiancé | Ray Elbe |
| Children | One adopted daughter (teenage niece, adopted in 2018) |
| Instagram Profile | @criscyborg |
Cyborg is a naturalized U.S. citizen who trains out of San Diego while keeping deep roots in her native Curitiba, Brazil. Her personal story includes overcoming a difficult childhood, a past doping suspension, and becoming the first mother to hold a UFC championship belt.
Early Career
Cyborg debuted professionally on May 17, 2005, losing her first fight to Erica Paes via submission, the only loss of her career for 13 years. She quickly rebounded, going unbeaten through Brazilian promotion Storm Samurai before making her U.S. debut in 2008 against Shayna Baszler at EliteXC. Her breakout moment came in 2009, TKO’ing Gina Carano to win the first-ever major women’s MMA main event.
Professional Career
After Strikeforce folded, Cyborg captured titles at Invicta FC before signing with the UFC in 2015, where she won the inaugural UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship in 2017. She lost that belt to Amanda Nunes in 2018, her only knockout loss, then moved to Bellator MMA and won a fourth world title, defending it five times.
In 2024 she joined the PFL, beating Larissa Pacheco and then Sara Collins to become the promotion’s first women’s featherweight champion, cementing her status as MMA’s only Quintuple Champion. She also built a perfect 7-0 professional boxing record, winning the WIBA world title in March 2026 to become the first athlete to simultaneously hold MMA and boxing world championships.
Engaged
Cris Cyborg has been engaged to trainer and former MMA fighter Ray Elbe since 2017, though the couple has not publicly confirmed a wedding date. She was previously married to fighter Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, whose nickname she kept after their 2011 split. In 2018, she legally adopted her teenage niece, making her the first mother to ever hold a UFC title.
Cris Cyborg’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Cris Cyborg’s estimated net worth USD 8-12 million, built from two decades of fight purses, PPV bonuses, sponsorships, and her own merchandise line. Exact current figures are not independently audited or publicly disclosed by Cyborg herself, so these numbers remain estimates rather than confirmed totals.
Fight Purses
| Event | Date | Opponent | Result | Disclosed Purse |
| UFC 214 | Jul 29, 2017 | Tonya Evinger | Win (TKO) | USD 200,000 |
| UFC 219 | Dec 30, 2017 | Holly Holm | Win (Unanimous Decision) | USD 500,000 (no win bonus) + USD 50,000 Fight of the Night bonus |
| UFC 222 | Mar 3, 2018 | Yana Kunitskaya | Win (TKO) | USD 500,000 (no win bonus) |
| UFC 232 | Dec 29, 2018 | Amanda Nunes | Loss (KO) | Not publicly disclosed |
| Bellator title fights (2020-2022) | Various | Julia Budd, Arlene Blencowe, Cat Zingano, Sinead Kavanagh | Multiple wins | Not publicly disclosed by Bellator |
| PFL Super Fights | Oct 19, 2024 | Larissa Pacheco | Win (Unanimous Decision) | USD 1,000,000 guaranteed, up to USD 1.75 million with PPV bonuses |
| PFL Lyon | Dec 13, 2025 | Sara Collins | Win (Submission) | Not publicly disclosed |
| WIBA Boxing Title | Mar 28, 2026 | Paulina Cardona | Win | USD 50,000 (five-round title fight) |
| PFL Tampa (retirement fight) | Aug 22, 2026 | Ketlen Vieira | Upcoming | Not publicly disclosed |
Career Earnings
| Category | Estimated Amount | Notes |
| Disclosed MMA earnings | USD 2,388,000 | Tapology’s tally of officially reported purses across Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC, Bellator, and PFL events |
| Strikeforce purses (2009–2011) | ~USD 100,000+ | Includes Gina Carano, Marloes Coenen, Jan Finney, Hiroko Yamanaka; typical guarantees from USD 25,000–30,000 plus win bonuses |
| Invicta FC purses (2013–2016) | ~USD 370,000 | Key fights vs Charmaine Tweet, Faith Van Duin, Daria Ibragimova, Marloes Coenen with combined show + win bonuses often USD 90,000–100,000 per event |
| UFC purses (2016–2019) | ~USD 3,500,000 | Multiple reports state her combined UFC earnings from guarantees, win bonuses, and PPV money passed USD 3.5 million, especially from Holm, Kunitskaya, and Nunes fights |
| Bellator purses (2020–2023) | ~USD 1,350,000 | Bellator 238–300 title run with flat purses reported around USD 250,000–300,000 per fight; Cat Zingano defense alone disclosed at USD 300,000 |
| PFL Super Fight vs Pacheco (2024) | USD 1,000,000–1,750,000 | Reported USD 1 million guaranteed plus up to USD 750,000 in PPV-related bonuses |
| Other PFL, boxing, and regional bouts | Not fully publicly available | Includes further PFL fights and her undefeated pro boxing run; detailed contracts not disclosed |
| Total estimated career fight earnings | ~USD 8,000,000+ | Aggregated from disclosed purses plus reasonable PPV/bonus estimates; overlaps with net-worth ranges reported by financial sites |
Endorsements
Cris Cyborg has partnered with a range of fitness and lifestyle brands over her career, including supplement company Fusion Labs, which signed her as a brand ambassador to support her training and recovery.
She has also worked with companies like Monster and Mitsubishi in earlier UFC-era sponsorship deals, and she runs an official sponsorship program through her website where brands can apply to partner with “Team Cyborg”. Cyborg is known to be selective, vetting partners to ensure alignment with her personal brand before signing endorsement deals.
Championships & Achievements
| Promotion | Title |
| PFL | Women’s Featherweight World Champion (inaugural), Super Fights Featherweight Champion |
| Bellator MMA | Women’s Featherweight World Champion (5 title defenses) |
| UFC | Women’s Featherweight World Champion (2 defenses) |
| Invicta FC | Featherweight World Champion (3 defenses) |
| Strikeforce | Women’s Featherweight World Champion (first, last, only) |
| WIBA (Boxing) | Light Middleweight World Champion |
Fight Record
| Opponent | Result | Event | Date |
| Gina Carano | Win (TKO) | Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg | Aug 15, 2009 |
| Holly Holm | Win (Unanimous Decision) | UFC 219 | Dec 30, 2017 |
| Amanda Nunes | Loss (KO) | UFC 232 | Dec 29, 2018 |
| Julia Budd | Win (TKO) | Bellator 238 | Jan 25, 2020 |
| Larissa Pacheco | Win (Unanimous Decision) | PFL Super Fights | Oct 19, 2024 |
| Sara Collins | Win (Submission) | PFL Lyon | Dec 13, 2025 |
| Ketlen Vieira | Upcoming | PFL Tampa | Aug 22, 2026 |
FAQs
1. Who is Cris Cyborg?
Cris Cyborg, born Cristiane Justino Venancio in July 1985 in Curitiba, Brazil, is one of the most accomplished women’s mixed martial artists in history. She is known for her aggressive striking style, physical strength, and long reigns as a featherweight champion across multiple major promotions.
2. What MMA promotions has Cris Cyborg been champion in?
Cris Cyborg has won major featherweight titles in Strikeforce, Invicta FC, the UFC, and Bellator. By capturing championships in these four organizations, she became widely recognized as MMA’s first “Grand Slam” women’s champion.
3. Why is Cris Cyborg considered one of the greatest women’s MMA fighters?
Cyborg is regarded as an all‑time great because of her long-term dominance at featherweight, her multiple world titles, and the way she consistently finished elite opponents. She has headlined major events, helped push women’s MMA into the mainstream, and maintained championship form across different eras and promotions.
4. What are Cris Cyborg’s main fighting strengths and style?
Cris Cyborg is primarily known for her powerful Muay Thai–based striking, forward pressure, and ability to overwhelm opponents with combinations. She also has a strong Brazilian jiu-jitsu base, earning a black belt and scoring submission victories later in her career.
5. Which fights are considered the biggest milestones in her career?
Key milestone fights include her 2008 U.S. debut win over Shayna Baszler in EliteXC, which introduced her to a wider audience, and her 2009 TKO of Gina Carano in Strikeforce to win her first major world title. Later, title-winning performances in Invicta FC, the UFC against Tonya Evinger, and Bellator against Julia Budd cemented her legacy as a multi-promotion champion.
6. What is Cris Cyborg’s natural weight class?
Cyborg’s natural and most successful weight class is featherweight (145 pounds in MMA). Her championship runs and most of her notable fights have taken place at this weight.
7. What titles did Cris Cyborg hold in the UFC?
In the UFC, Cris Cyborg won the women’s featherweight championship by defeating Tonya Evinger in 2017. She successfully defended that title multiple times before eventually leaving the promotion.
8. What has Cris Cyborg accomplished in Bellator?
Cyborg won the Bellator women’s featherweight title by defeating Julia Budd via TKO in early 2020. That victory completed her Grand Slam of major titles and led to multiple successful Bellator title defenses.
9. Does Cris Cyborg have a background outside of MMA?
Yes, in addition to MMA, Cyborg has competed in Muay Thai and developed a strong Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree. She has also appeared in media and entertainment projects, including film work, leveraging her status as a pioneering figure in women’s combat sports.
10. How has Cris Cyborg influenced women’s MMA?
Cyborg helped legitimize and popularize women’s MMA by headlining major cards, drawing strong TV ratings, and proving that women’s fights could be marquee attractions. Her long-term success across multiple promotions has made her a reference point in any discussion of the women’s MMA “GOAT.”