Cris Cyborg books retirement fight vs. Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa

Cris Cyborg has booked her final MMA contest, squaring off against Ketlen Vieira in the main event of PFL Tampa on August 22 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida. The promotion announced the retirement fight on Wednesday.

Cyborg (29-2, 1 no-contest) will seek her 30th professional victory in her farewell appearance. The legendary Brazilian has become the first fighter to hold world titles across UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and PFL. She captured the vacant PFL featherweight belt in her most recent outing in December, submitting previously undefeated Sara Collins via rear-naked choke after winning her promotional debut against Larissa Pacheco. Over two decades, Cyborg has compiled an impressive resume that includes former UFC champion Holly Holm among her vanquished opponents. She has strung together eight consecutive victories under Bellator and PFL since exiting the UFC in 2019 and went undefeated in professional boxing with a 6-0 record, capped by a WIBA title victory over Paulina Cardona in March.

Vieira (16-5) finished her UFC contract in May with a victory over Jacqueline Cavalcanti but was not retained by the promotion. She departed the UFC with a 10-5 record, having defeated Holly Holm, Miesha Tate, Cat Zingano, and Sara McMann while going the distance with future UFC champion Kayla Harrison.

"PFL Tampa will be a special event as it hosts the retirement fight for our champion, Cris Cyborg," stated PFL CEO John Martin. "She is a pioneer of not just women's MMA, but mixed martial arts as a whole, and it has been a privilege for PFL to have her as a deserving champion. Now she headlines one final time in the PFL cage, and will stand across from a proven challenger in Ketlen Vieira, who has one mission: ruin the goodbye and take the title. This is the conclusion to the storied career of Cyborg, and I can't wait to be there cageside to witness her create MMA history for the last time."