Cyborg Defends PFL Title, Calls Out Harrison And Shields

Cris Cyborg retained her PFL featherweight title against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa on Saturday night, winning a hard-fought unanimous decision before issuing callouts to UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison and boxing champion Claressa Shields.

Vieira, who missed weight by seven pounds and was ineligible to win the belt, gave Cyborg plenty of trouble over five rounds at Benchmark International Arena in Florida. The Nova União fighter rocked Cyborg late in the second round after absorbing punishment from calf kicks, then landed a judo throw in the fourth that left the champion bloodied. Cyborg answered with ground control and heavy strikes, scoring takedowns in the third and fifth rounds to edge ahead on the scorecards. All three judges saw it for Cyborg: 49-46, 48-47, and 49-46, per MMA Fighting.

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Cyborg Targets Harrison And Shields After 10th Straight Win

The two fighters combined for 308 strikes over 25 minutes. Cyborg called Vieira "a big test" afterward and declared herself "ready for anybody, anytime, any weight." She then turned her attention to Harrison, who attended the event to support her American Top Team teammates. "Kayla, you've been running for so long," Cyborg said, according to MMA Fighting. "You ran from PFL from me, now you're coming to watch my fight? I'm ready for you. I hope you heal your neck and you go challenge Amanda Nunes. I'm here."

Cyborg also challenged Shields to a boxing match at 160 pounds, telling the former undisputed champion to "eat less." The win extends Cyborg's record to 30-2 with 10 straight victories dating back nearly eight years. She now enters free agency after stints with UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and Invicta FC.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to PFL Women's Featherweight Title Defense on Ticketmaster →

In the co-main event, Gadzhi Rabadanov stopped short-notice replacement Tracy Reeder late in the first round with ground strikes. Sabrinna de Sousa upset former UFC flyweight title challenger Taila Santos by unanimous decision, while Luke Trainer opened the main card with a front-kick knockout of Roland Dunlap.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — PFL Tampa results: Cris Cyborg defends title in hard-fought battle, sends message to Claressa Shields, Kayla Harrison