Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Cris
Cyborg is ready to embrace a new chapter once her legendary
mixed martial arts career comes to an end.

The reigning
Professional Fighters League champion has revealed that she
plans to start a family after her retirement bout against Ketlen
Vieira at
PFL Tampa on Aug. 22. She also confirmed that she has one more
boxing match scheduled for later this year.

Cris Cyborg's final MMA chapter has a deeply personal goal

Speaking to Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso ahead of her farewell MMA
fight, Cyborg explained that her decision to retire is fueled by a
personal goal.

“I’ll never stop training because I love competing,†she said.
“I’ve been training since I was 12 years old. I started fighting
professionally at 19. This healthy lifestyle has allowed me to
reach 41 years old in great health and still performing at an elite
level. It’s become part of who I am, and I won’t change that.â€

The Brazilian, who turned 41 on July 9, confirmed that she already
has a boxing bout booked after facing Vieira but intends to focus
on starting a family after her retirement.

A middleweight
title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on Saturday, July 18 at 8
p.m. ET on ESPN.

“But I’ve always wanted to become a mother. Now I plan to get
pregnant and begin this new chapter,” she added.

Cyborg also said that she's happy to have fellow Brazilian Vieira,
a top-ranked contender whom the UFC opted against re-signing, as
her last opponent in MMA.

“I believe Ketlen is in her prime,” Cyborg said. “Just a few months
ago, she was ranked in the top three, so I’m happy to have a ranked
and highly credible opponent for my final fight.”

Cyborg enters the bout as one of the most accomplished female
fighters in MMA history. She will look to cap off her career with a
30th professional victory before shifting her focus to motherhood.

Khabib
Nurmagomedov claims some
Ultimate Fighting Championship contracts last a lifetime.

Nurmagomedov has repeatedly dismissed the idea of returning to any
combat sports competition since retiring from the UFC in 2020.
However, he recently revealed that he is still under some form of
contract with the UFC. While Nurmagomedov reiterates his desire to
stay retired, “The Eagle†claims he won't be able to fight anywhere
except the UFC even if he were to return.

Khabib Nurmagomedov says his UFC contract remains exclusive
after retirement

The UFC Hall of Famer notes that every up-and-coming fighter dreams
of fighting in the UFC, widely considered the premier MMA promotion
in the world. According to him, the UFC uses that leverage to sign
exclusive contracts with aspiring fighters that essentially
restrict them from testing the market.

“I'm not planning to return, but even if I suddenly wanted to, I
could never fight anywhere except the UFC – not even 20 years from
now,†Nurmagomedov said on the “Smol Talk” podcast. “So, your
exclusive arrangement with them effectively lasts for life… I still
have a contract with the UFC. Every fighter dreams of competing in
the UFC, and the UFC uses that. They say, ‘Alright, that's your
dream, come in. But the deal is exclusive.'â€

Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired from the UFC as the undefeated
lightweight champion in 2020. Despite Dana
White initially trying his best to lure the Russian out of
retirement, he has stood firm in his stance.

Jan
Blachowicz believes Jamahal
Hill is forced to move up a weight class in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship due to an undisciplined
diet.

Hill recently announced that he is moving up from light heavyweight
to heavyweight. “Sweet Dreams†certainly looks bulky, even by
heavyweight standards, in his recent videos. Blachowicz is not
impressed with how “fat†Hill is right now.

Why Jan Blachowicz believes Jamahal Hill’s move to heavyweight
is diet-related

Hill is currently out of action until late 2026 after undergoing
knee surgery. However, Blachowicz refuses to blame the surgery for
the American’s massive increase in size. The Polish 205-pounder
claims he has battled numerous injuries and surgeries without
bulking up like Hill. Blachowicz believes his fellow former
champion has gained weight due to an undisciplined diet.

“Did you see how fat he is right now? So, I'm not impressed,â€
Blachowicz told Home of Fight. “I've had a lot of injuries and
surgeries, and I've never looked so bad like him, so he just eats a
lot of sh*t, I think.â€

Hill (12-4) won the light heavyweight title against Glover
Teixeira in 2023. However, he was forced to vacate his belt
soon after, injuring his achilles tendon in a game of pickup
basketball. Hill has since suffered three losses in a row.

Meanwhile, Blachowicz (29-11) has two draws and two losses since
2022. The former light heavyweight champion was scheduled to fight
Bogdan
Guskov in a rematch at
UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1. However, Blachowicz has been left
without an opponent after Guskov accepted a short-notice
replacement fight against Magomed
Ankalaev at
UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25.

😭😳 Jan
Blachowicz calls Jamahal
Hill ‘fat' and says he ‘eats a lot of shit'

“Did you see how fat he is right now? So I'm not impressed

I've had a lot of injuries and surgeries and I've never looked so
bad like him, so he just eat a lot of shit I think.â€

(via @Home_of_Fight…
pic.twitter.com/F54u1rdlpy

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
July 14, 2026