Cris Cyborg defeats Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa, performs push-up challenge right after
Cris Cyborg was victorious against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa and decided to celebrate the win by facing her opponent in a post-fight push-up contest.
At PFL Tampa, Cris Cyborg successfully defended her PFL women's featherweight title against Ketlen Vieira, beating her via unanimous decision. However, it wasn't the easy, dominant victory many have come to expect from Cyborg, but she still punctuated it by challenging Vieira to a brief push-up contest afterward.
Cris Cyborg celebrates her PFL Tampa win in style
Cris Cyborg is now 30-2 (1) in her career, beating Ketlen Vieira via unanimous decision at PFL Tampa. The win marked her first defense of her PFL women's featherweight title, as well as the last fight on her PFL contract, which many believe may have been her retirement bout. After a hard five rounds against a game Vieira, Cyborg challenged her to a short push-up contest in the post-fight proceedings, before the two embraced in what was yet another chapter in Cyborg's legendary career.
While the fight was a great moment for Cyborg, it was the exact opposite for Vieira, who was the subject of controversy a day prior after missing weight. It was no regular weigh-in mishap either, as Veira stepped on the scale while being a jaw-dropping 7.2 pounds over the featherweight title limit. It rendered her ineligible to win the PFL women's featherweight belt, even if she had managed to beat Cyborg. This damaged her reputation somewhat, as she had previously used an interview ahead of PFL Tampa as a platform to criticize the UFC for cutting her so abruptly, while also naming Ronda Rousey as a dream fight.
Where Vieira goes from here is anyone's guess. She turns 35 in just a few days and hasn't been on a win streak since 2022, bouncing back and forth between wins and losses. However, for Cyborg, there are still matchups for her to chase. A long sought after fight with Rousey is unlikely. 'Rowdy' made a brief return to MMA at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano, where she submitted Gina Carano in round one. However, she announced her retirement immediately afterward, citing a desire to focus on her family life now that she's ended her career on a more positive note.
For Cyborg, the only sensible fight for her would be a boxing match with bitter rival and all-time great women's boxer Claressa Shields.
