Three Fights Cris Cyborg Should Take Before Hanging Up the Gloves

Cris Cyborg has made it clear that her time in the cage is winding down. After announcing plans to start a family following a retirement fight at PFL Tampa, the question becomes simple: who should the Brazilian legend face before she walks away from the sport that made her a household name? Cyborg's resume already includes titles in Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC, and Bellator, but the right final chapter could add layers to an already historic career.

1. Larissa Pacheco (PFL)
This is the fight that makes the most sense if Cyborg stays in-house at PFL. Pacheco is a two-time PFL champion at lightweight, undefeated in her last seven, and carries legitimate knockout power. The narrative writes itself: Brazil's most decorated female fighter against its hungriest rising star. Stylistically, Pacheco's wrestling-heavy approach would test whether Cyborg's takedown defense holds up in the twilight of her career. If Cyborg is serious about retiring at PFL Tampa, this is the marquee name that draws eyeballs and respects her legacy.

2. Amanda Nunes (Superfight)
Yes, Nunes is retired. But if boxing has taught us anything, retirements are negotiable when the money and mystique align. Cyborg and Nunes never fought despite years of speculation, and both have expressed interest in the past. Nunes would be moving up from bantamweight, where she ruled for years, to challenge Cyborg at featherweight in a true champion-versus-champion clash. The winner walks away as the undisputed greatest female fighter of all time. It would require coaxing Nunes out of retirement, but stranger things have happened when legacy is on the line.

3. Kayla Harrison (PFL)
Harrison is the elephant in the room. The two-time Olympic judo gold medalist has been dominant at lightweight in PFL, and while a weight cut to featherweight would be brutal for her, the intrigue is undeniable. Harrison's grappling credentials are unmatched in women's MMA, and Cyborg has never faced a wrestler of that caliber. If Harrison could make 145 pounds, this becomes a passing-of-the-torch moment—Cyborg defending her throne against the fighter many believe will define the next era. The problem is Harrison's reluctance to cut weight and her focus on a UFC move, but if PFL wants to send Cyborg out with a bang, this is the fight that does it.

Cyborg has earned the right to choose her exit. Whether she stays in PFL, negotiates a superfight, or takes on a rising contender, the goal should be the same: a competitive, compelling matchup that honors everything she's built. Anything less would be a disservice to one of the most dominant careers in combat sports history.