Cris Cyborg vs. Kelsey Wickstrum: Live Stream and Predictions

Former UFC champion Cris Cyborg will return to the boxing ring on Friday night to take on Kelsey Wickstrum in a six-round affair from the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temucula, California.

Cyborg has earned a reputation as one of the greatest fighters in her native sport of MMA thanks to her punching power. Now, at 38 years old, she has delved into boxing while still remaining active in MMA.

Cyborg last entered the boxing ring in December of 2022. She defeated Gabrielle Holloway in a four-round unanimous decision victory on the Terence Crawford-David Avanaesyan undercard in her first official professional fight.

This time, she'll be headlining her own card. The bout with the 36-year-old Wickstrum will serve as the main event.

Here's a look at all the info you need to catch the fight along with a preview and prediction.

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Fight Schedule and Live Stream Info

When: Friday January 19 at 10 p.m. ET (ringwalk approximately midnight ET)

Where: Pechanga Resort Casino, Temecula, California

Live stream: Spectation Sports

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Preview

At the time of this writing there were not odds available for this fight, but if there were, it's safe to assume that Cyborg would be a heavy favorite. She might not have a ton of in-ring experience, but her resume in MMA speaks for itself.

Cyborg is and has been a power house in the cage. Until she ran into Amanda Nunes in 2018, she was able to physically overwhelm just about every opponent she met. 21 of her 27 career wins have come by knockout.

She has won world titles in the UFC, Bellator, Invicta and Strikeforce.

Among those knockouts was her first-round TKO victory over Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 the last time we saw her. She successfully defended her featherweight title in October 2023 showing she still has plenty left in the tank.

That knockout power hasn't quite transitioned to boxing. Cyborg is officially 1-0 but has a few other wins that aren't on her official ledger. All have come by way of decision.

Cyborg's last foray into boxing was a unanimous decision win over Gabrielle Holloway. She did score a knockdown in the bout, but could finish her before the four-round fight was over.

Perhaps the extra two rounds will give her the opportunity to finish the job this time around.

Of course, her opponent will be looking to pull off a career-defining win for herself. Wickstrum is a relative newcomer to the sports as well, having earned a career record of 2-0 with a knockout win over Sudana Moore in her most recent bout.

She's leaning into the underdog role.

"I am confident in my skills and I bet on me always. I am always the underdog and I am always overlooked, which has proved to be a mistake. One thing about me is I always come prepared and I do not come to lose. I expect nothing less than an awesome fight and performance," she said, per Boxing Scene.

At the very least, the fight is a good way for Cyborg to hone in her striking and stay in shape for future MMA bouts.

Bellator was recently sold to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Cyborg will not compete on a February card that is going to pit champions from Bellator and the PFL against one another, but it does open the door to a future fight with PFL star Kayla Harrison.

Prediction

Cyborg might not be the most refined boxer, but she has the basics needed to take advantage of her physcial advantages. She will attack with a good jab and has a nice straight right hand to complement it.

One thing that has translated well from her MMA game is her ability to pressure. She never left striking range with Holloway and forced her to constantly defend against something.

Wickstrum does not have the same aggression. She has decent counter-punching and will look to work the body when faced with pressure, but according to the eye test, doesn't have the kind of power that is going to back off Cyborg.

If we can take anything from Cyborg's MMA career it's that beating her requires getting her on her back foot and fighting fire with fire. That's exactly what Amanda Nunes did in her shocking victory over the Brazilian.

It doesn't look like Wickstrum has that in her arsenal. This could be Cyborg's first knockout in boxing.

Prediction: Cyborg via fifth-round TKO