Is Cris Cyborg married? Exploring the fighter's relationships and how she adopted her nickname from one of them

Cris Cyborg's relationships are of great interest to fans. While much is known about her professional life, what about her dating history?

Some may be surprised to learn that her nickname, 'Cyborg', was originally adopted from her ex-husband Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos, a retired MMA fighter with a 21-18 record.

The pair were married in 2005 but split in Dec. 2011. The reason for the couple's divorce has never been disclosed, but they have managed to maintain a friendly relationship, staying in touch with each other throughout the years. In fact, back in 2016, Cyborg set up a GoFundMe on his behalf.

The purpose of the fundraiser, which raised over $20,000, was to pay for Santos' medical expenses due to a frontal sinus fracture he suffered after eating a brutal flying knee from Michael 'Venom' Page. Despite being on friendly terms with her ex-husband, Cyborg has moved on and found love elsewhere.

She started dating Ray Elbe, a retired fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who supports Cyborg as one of her coaches. After years together, the pair announced their engagement back in 2017.

However, they remain unmarried. It is worth noting that both Elbe and Santos retired from MMA due to injuries.

Elbe suffered various injuries throughout his career, with his knee giving him the most grief.

Meanwhile, Santos' fractured skull from MVP's flying knee, which left a visible dent on his forehead prior to surgical repair, led to him announcing his retirement from the sport in early 2017. He now works as a coach at his own gym.

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Cris Cyborg set for her third professional boxing match this Friday

While Cris Cyborg's married life with Ray Elbe is yet to come, she has continued to chase greatness in her combat sports career. This Friday, Jan. 19, Cris Cyborg will make her return to the squared circle.

This time, she will take on unbeaten boxer Kelsey Wickstrum, who is of a similar experience level in the sport to Cyborg having also amassed a 2-0 record. The two women are also relatively close in age, with Cyborg being 38 and Wickstrum being 35.

The bout will mark Cyborg's first boxing match since late 2022, when she defeated Gabrielle Holloway via unanimous decision.

She most recently fought in MMA, successfully defending her Bellator women's featherweight title by TKO'ing gutsy challenger Cat Zingano.