Cris Cyborg, Bellator MMA Reach Agreement On ‘Largest Women’s Contract’

Bellator MMA broke the bank to sign Cris Cyborg.

The promotion confirmed Tuesday afternoon the signing of the former UFC and Strikeforce champion to a multi-year, multi-fight exclusive contract.

“I have worked with countless athletes over my thirty-plus years of promoting combat sports, but there is no one quite like ‘Cyborg’,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “Her ability to excite the crowd from the moment she makes her walk to the cage is special, and having had the pleasure of promoting several of her fights in the past, I am looking forward to the opportunity of promoting her once again. ‘Cyborg’ is the most dominant female fighter in the history of the sport and she will be a perfect fit here at Bellator, where champion Julia Budd and the other women that make up best female featherweight division in the world have eagerly awaited her arrival.”

Cyborg comes to Bellator after a run in the UFC that included her claiming the title. However, the 34-year-old Brazilian suffered her first loss in over a decade when Amanda Nunes finished her for the belt to become a dual-division champion.

Related: Crucial Fight, Time In Career Of Cris Cyborg

Plans seemed to be in place several times for a rematch, but the two could never come to an agreement with UFC president Dana White. Instead, Cyborg completed her contract by defeating Felicia Spencer earlier this summer to improve to 21-2 in her career.

Cyborg holds wins over former UFC champion Holly Holm, former Invicta FC champions Yana Kunitskaya and Tonya Evinger, along with Leslie Smith, Lina Lansberg, Marloes Coenen and Gina Carano.

Bellator Press Release On Signing Cris Cyborg

Bellator is proud to announce the signing of Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino (21-2, 1 NC) to the organization. The deal – the largest of its kind in women’s MMA history – exclusively secures “Cyborg’s” talents with a multi-year, multi-fight contract.

“Cyborg” joins current champ Julia Budd, Olga Rubin, Arlene Blencowe, Janay Harding and Leslie Smith among others, cementing Bellator’s 145-pound weight class as the strongest women’s featherweight division in MMA.

“Cyborg” joins Bellator following a three-year run in UFC, multiple world titles and a 20-fight unbeaten streak that includes notable victories against Holly Holm, Tonya Evinger, Marloes Coenen and Leslie Smith. Notably, the 34-year-old Curitiba, Brazil-native was the inaugural Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Champion, defeating Gina Carano for the title in 2009.

“I have worked with countless athletes over my thirty-plus years of promoting combat sports, but there is no one quite like ‘Cyborg’,” Bellator President Scott Coker said. “Her ability to excite the crowd from the moment she makes her walk to the cage is special, and having had the pleasure of promoting several of her fights in the past, I am looking forward to the opportunity of promoting her once again. ‘Cyborg’ is the most dominant female fighter in the history of the sport and she will be a perfect fit here at Bellator, where champion Julia Budd and the other women that make up best female featherweight division in the world have eagerly awaited her arrival.”