Cris Cyborg Announces MMA Retirement, Sets August 22 Final Bout Against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa

Cris Cyborg has set a date for the end of her MMA career. The longtime combat sports veteran announced Wednesday that she will retire from mixed martial arts following one final fight — a main event showdown with former UFC fighter Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa on Saturday, August 22.

Cyborg, who turns 41 next month, carries a professional MMA record of 29-2-0-1 built across some of the sport’s most prominent organizations, including Strikeforce, the UFC, and Bellator. The PFL bout with Vieira will close out a career that has made her one of the most decorated women’s fighters in combat sports history.

While the retirement announcement is strictly an MMA matter, Cyborg’s profile extends well beyond the cage. She has crossed over into professional wrestling in recent years, making her a recognizable name to fans on both sides of the combat sports spectrum. How her post-MMA career shapes up — whether wrestling plays a larger role going forward — remains to be seen, but the August 22 date now officially marks the end of one chapter.

Vieira, a credible opponent with UFC experience, figures to make Cyborg’s farewell anything but a formality. For fans who have followed Cyborg’s run across multiple promotions and two combat sports, PFL Tampa on August 22 will be the place to watch history close the book on one of the most accomplished careers the sport has produced.