Cyborg Wins Boxing Debut, Trashed By Zingano

Bellator MMA featherweight champion Cris Cyborg made her boxing debut last weekend in Brazil, defeating Simone Silva by way of unanimous decision at the “Fight Music Show 2” event in Curitiba.

“I’m very happy,” Cyborg told FMS broadcast partner Combate after the win (via MMA Fighting). “Simone is a very tough athlete, a boxing pioneer, and I’m honored to have fought her.”

Silva, two years older than Cyborg at 39, has a professional record of 17-22 with six knockouts.

“I really love working with Bellator, I’m their champion,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie before her boxing debut. “I’m gonna have more to say after this fight. I’m gonna sit down and see what’s the next step.”

That step would seem to include a title defense against Cat Zingano … or would it?

“Cat Zingano been running, been running for a little while,” Cyborg said. “All the time Bellator talk to me, okay next is gonna be Cat Zingano and then change, and then gonna be Cat Zingano and then (Arlene) Blencowe and then no Cat Zingano and then Sinead (Kavanagh). So she always say I want to fight one more fight, one more fight next and then never ready.”

Zingano previously turned down Cyborg in UFC due to “medical bullshit” then missed her chance to battle the Brazilian in Bellator because her manager wanted “one more fight” before challenging for the title.

“This b***h left to boxing right when I earned my title shot against her and says I’m running,” Zingano wrote on Twitter. “That’s one way out of drug tests you fucking juice box.”

Zingano claims Cyborg is avoiding drug tests, Cyborg insists it’s a smear campaign.

Cyborg is expected to return to Bellator MMA in early 2023, if not sooner. Whether or not promotion president Scott Coker can finally get her Zingano fight booked remains to be seen.