The former UFC star continues his run in boxing as PFL struggles to book a featherweight showdown between corporate champion Larissa Pacheco and Bellator titleholder Cris Cyborg.
Cyborg announced in a press release that he is scheduled to face Widnelly Figueroa in the main event of Green Bay Fight Night on April 27 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The 154-pound bout will be contested over four two-minute rounds using 10-ounce gloves. .
Cyborg is 2-0 as a professional boxer, knocking out Kelsey Wickstrom in her most recent appearance in January. The Brazilian, who earned a decision win over fellow Bellator veteran Gabriel Holloway in his debut, last fought in MMA in October 2023, knocking out Cat Zingano within one round.
Figueroa is 0-2 as a professional and hasn't fought since 2017, when she lost a first-round knockout to Olympic boxer Michaela Mayer, who was transitioning to professional boxing at the time.
According to the release, Cyborg decided to take the boxing match “despite wanting to return to MMA and face two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco,” and the MMA promotion has not confirmed the date. He added that it was not given to him.
“I had limited dates to continue boxing matches as I was hoping to be able to fight Pacheco in June,” Cyborg said in a release. “Figueroa is a tough opponent who has been in the ring with boxing Olympians who are much more experienced than I am. I have been training hard and want to continue to show improvement in my boxing skills.
“I want to prove to the boxing community that my KO power in MMA can translate to KO power when using bigger gloves. I want to give the fans the finish they want. , I'm honing my boxing skills. I want to bring excitement to women's boxing like I did in WMMA.”
