Cris Cyborg drops opponent, wins pro boxing debut by unanimous decision

Cris Cyborg is now an undefeated professional boxer.

On Saturday, the current Bellator women’s featherweight champion laced up the boxing gloves for the second time in 2022 to take on fellow MMA veteran Gabrielle Holloway.

The four-round pro boxing bout served as the co-main event under Terence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., and aired on BLK Prime pay-per-view.

It was a performance that MMA fans a familiar with, as Cyborg’s forward pressure and aggression dictated the fight. In the third round, the Brazilian power puncher dropped Holloway with a flurry of hooks and body shots. Holloway returned to her feet and the fight continued into the final round. Cyborg turned up the pressure as she hunted for a finish, but it would not come before the conclusion of the final two-minute round.

The judges scored the fight 40-35, 39-36, and 40-34 in favor of Cyborg.

Cyborg, 37, competed in her first boxing bout in September against Simone Silva at Fight Music Show 2. There was uncertainty about the classification of the bout as an exhibition or a professional bout, unlike Saturday’s bout which was sanctioned by the Nebraska Athletic Commission as a pro contest.

Prior to Saturday’s fight, Cyborg told MMA Junkie her intentions are to return to the MMA cage in the summer of 2023 to defend her Bellator title against Cat Zingano, but she is also open to other challenges like taking on 2022 PFL lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco.

Cyborg’s appearance in MMA was against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279 in April, a fight she won by unanimous decision to record her fourth title defense.