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Since the start of her MMA career, Cris 'Cyborg' has proven time and time again why she is considered one of the best in the sport.
Numerous fighters have put on show-stopping performances in mixed martial arts. The incredible skill and talent each fighter brings to the mat continues to shine a light on combat sports.
Across the plethora of MMA promotions, there are always fighters that stand out. There is an even shorter percentage of fighters who stand out across more than one platform.
Undoubtedly, one of the most dominant and victorious female fighters is Cris 'Cyborg' Justino. However, her stats prove that she is ranked among some of the best male fighters as well.
In the span of a 17 year professional MMA career, she has achieved a slew of accolades in and out of the octagon. From being the only MMA Grand Slam Champion to having 12 first-round TKO/KO wins, her presence speaks to greatness in mixed martial arts.
#5. 20 wins by TKO/KO
'Cyborg' scored her first TKO win in 2005 at Storm Samurai 10. She stopped the third opponent of her professional career, Chris Schroeder, via a rain of brutal punches in the first round. Since then, the Brazilian fighter has accumulated 19 more vicious knockouts. For instance, Jan Finney was no match for her when they fought in Strikeforce. A crippling knee to the ribs ended the fight early for Finney but gave the Brazilian victor another dominant performance to celebrate.
At one point, she sported an undefeated win streak consisting only of knockouts. Within one fight promotion, Invicta FC, she won all five of her fights in the same fashion.
Most of her wins in the UFC are by knockout. Leslie Smith fell to 'Cyborg's punching power when she joined the promotion in 2016. Not only was it another round one finish, but also an exemplary way to enter the most glorified MMA promotion.
One of the champion's most notable TKOs was when she put Gina Carano into retirement after defeating her in Strikeforce.
With 20 knockouts under her name, that places her right under the knockout king, Derrick Lewis. He flaunts 21 knockouts overall and 13 in the UFC.
#4. 'Cyborg' helped accelerate women's presence in MMA
In November 2021, Cris 'Cyborg' joined MMA Zambia President Benjamin Bush in launching Africa’s first and only women’s MMA commission.
An inaugural symposium was held in Africa to broadcast Bush's efforts to promote mixed martial arts as a source for positive change in African youth. The Grand Slam Champion attended the event, which aided its success.
Bush was thankful that the Bellator champion attended the event and credits her as the perfect representative for the women's commission. Gender-based violence is a major issue in Africa. The commission was designed to also help empower women and give them the tools to defend themselves. While in Africa, the featherweight champ taught a self-defense class to a group of women and the younger generation.
Due to her efforts, Africa now has its first and only women's MMA commission.
#3. Donates to the less fortunate
Winning and tenacity are, of course, part of what makes a fighter great. But most MMA fans can appreciate a fighter that gives their all inside the cage and out.
Born in Brazil, 'Cyborg' is no stranger to the impact of poverty. Throughout her time as a contender and champion, she has given back to the community.
In March 2018, she and her team spent time handing out 222 In-N-Out burgers to the homeless in downtown Los Angeles. It was her way of celebrating her title defense at UFC 222. Later, in August, she gathered school supplies for children by offering free classes at her gym to anyone who could donate. The following year, her team hosted a missionary in San Diego to feed the less fortunate.
On multiple occasions, the Brazillian has expressed that it is her duty as a champion to help the less fortunate.
#2. Longevity
Since 2005, the featherweight division has known 'Cyborg' as a fierce competitor.
She lost her professional debut in the first round via a gruesome kneebar. A loss in that fashion would stop most fighters in their tracks, but the future champion brushed it off by winning her next ten matches. The win streak was halted by a no contest, then continued up until her bout with Amanda Nunes at UFC 232 in 2018.
In 2011, 'Cyborg's record was tarnished. She won the fight against Hiroko Yamanaka, but the decision was later overturned due to a failed drug test. As a result, she was suspended from fighting for a year. Later in 2017, she was popped for another banned substance. This is an unfortunate part of her career, but not a defining one. She owned up to her mistakes, learned from them, dealt with the punishment, and went back to fighting.
At the age of 36, 'Cyborg' continues to devastate the competition. After parting ways with the UFC, she started winning with Bellator. As the newly crowned Bellator featherweight champion, she won her first title defense with a rear-naked choke against Arlene Blencowe.
She is the reigning champion and has another upcoming title defense. She will face Arlene Blencowe for a second time on April 23 at Bellator 279 in Hawaii.
#1. The only MMA Grand Slam Champion
To top it all off, 'Cyborg' holds the distinction of being the first and only MMA Grand Slam Champion.
After defeating Julia Budd for the Bellator featherweight title in 2020, 'Cyborg' made MMA history. She collected championship belts from Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC and Bellator, an achievement accomplished by no other fighter, male or female, in mixed martial arts.
The Brazilian champion continues to add to her phenomenal legacy. And with no signs of slowing down, she could make even more strides in her career.
