UFC Legend Cris Cyborg to Make Professional Boxing Debut vs. Simone Silva on Sept. 25

Former UFC women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg's next fight will not take place in a cage, but rather in a boxing ring.

Cyborg announced on Wednesday's episode of The MMA Hour that she will compete in a boxing match against Simone Silva on Sept. 25 in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. Cyborg officially signed her contract live on the show.

According to MMA Fighting, the fight between Cyborg and Silva will be under the Fight Music Show (FMS) and the promotion's middleweight championship will be on the line. The fight will take place at the Athletico Paranaense Arena, which was the site of Cyborg's UFC debut in 2016.

The reigning Bellator MMA featherweight champion, Cyborg most recently defended her title for the fourth time in a unanimous decision victory over Arlene Blencowe in April. She has also held titles in Strikeforce and Invicta FC. The knockout artist is currently on a six-fight win streak after losing her UFC belt to Amanda Nunes in 2018.

Cyborg (26-2, 1 NC) has been vocal in the past about her desire to test her skills in boxing while still competing in mixed martial arts. She recently called it "one of my dreams" to step into a boxing ring.

The 37-year-old will face a veteran boxer in Silva, who has a 17-21 record with six knockouts. However, she's riding an eight-fight losing streak dating back to 2019.

While Cyborg is set to get her feet wet in boxing, it's unclear who will be her next MMA opponent. There isn't yet a clear No. 1 contender at featherweight in Bellator. There has been speculation that PFL would pursue a deal with Cyborg to match her up against two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison, but Cyborg said she has not had any contact with the promotion.