MMA legend, Brazil’s Cris Cyborg, who was Bellator’s pound-for-pound #1 fighter and reigning featherweight champion at the time, announced in August 2022 that she would be making her professional boxing debut. The highly anticipated event was scheduled for the 25th of September, 2022, at the Athletico Paranaense Arena in her home town of Curitiba, Brazil.
Cris Cyborg vs Simone Silva Headlines Fight Music Show 2
Cyborg, whose birth name is Cristiane Justino Venâncio, is widely regarded as one of the greatest female mixed martial artists of all time. Prior to her boxing debut, she had amassed an impressive MMA record of 25 wins and 2 losses, with 20 of her victories coming by knockout. She holds the unique distinction of being the only MMA fighter in history to become a Quintuple Champion, having held world championships across five major MMA promotions: UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC, Bellator MMA, and later the PFL. Her last MMA bout before stepping into the boxing ring was a dominant unanimous decision victory over Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279 on April 23, 2022, where she successfully defended her Bellator Women’s Featherweight World Championship.
For her boxing debut, Cyborg faced fellow Brazilian Simone Aparecida da Silva (Simone Silva). Silva, an experienced boxer with a record of 17-22 at the time of the announcement, had shared the ring with many of the top fighters in women’s boxing, including Amanda Serrano, Hyun Mi Choi, and Jessica Camara. A former Brazilian National Boxing Champion, Silva’s extensive professional career began in 2005. However, she entered the bout against Cyborg on a nine-fight losing streak dating back to 2019. Adding a layer of controversy to the matchup, Silva had suffered a knockout loss via a body punch just a month prior to the Fight Music Show 2 event and was under a medical suspension by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). The TDLR stated they would not waive the mandatory suspension, citing fighter safety. Consequently, the Organizacao Brasileira de Boxe (OBBoxe) opted not to sanction the fight as a professional bout. Despite this, Cyborg’s representatives maintained that her team was never informed it would not be a professional contest, and the Associacao Paranaense De Lutas Commission ultimately sanctioned the bout as a professional fight.
Cris Cyborg told NoSmokeBoxing in an exclusive interview that she was fully focused on the task at hand and was not underestimating the challenge at all, “My opponent Simone Silva has almost 40 professional fights and has fought for the World Title 4 different times in her career.”
Cyborg explained that she believed Simone “is a tough and durable opponent” and she was “expecting a good challenge for her first professional boxing experience”. Cyborg, however, did reveal to NoSmokeBoxing that she would be interested in a massive crossover fight with Katie Taylor in 2023. Taylor was scheduled to return on Oct 29 in London.
Cris Cyborg vs Simone Silva – The Fight Night and Outcome
The Fight Music Show 2 event, which featured nine fights and live music performances from Wesley Safadao and Tirullipa, began at 2 pm local time (18:00 UK/ 13:00 ET/ 10:00 PT). The Cyborg vs Silva main event ring walks were expected to take place at approximately 9 pm local time (01:00 UK/ 8:00 ET/ 5:00 PT). The bout itself went the full eight rounds, with Cris Cyborg ultimately securing a unanimous decision victory. Observers noted that Cyborg likely won every round, showcasing her power and boxing fundamentals. While Cyborg landed several hard shots, particularly a big left hook in the eighth and final round that hurt Silva, the veteran Simone Silva proved to be a game and durable opponent, weathering the storm and even firing back. Cyborg expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating, “I’m very happy with my first boxing fight. It was eight rounds. It’s different for somebody coming in for the first time. But I know I’ve got a lot to prove. And I’m very happy.”
Implications for the Division and Future Aspirations
Cyborg’s victory marked a successful transition into professional boxing, adding another dimension to her already legendary combat sports career. Despite the initial controversy surrounding the fight’s professional status, it is widely recognized as her professional boxing debut. Her ability to perform well in a new discipline immediately sparked further speculation about potential crossover superfights, particularly against undisputed lightweight boxing champion Katie Taylor, a matchup Cyborg herself had expressed interest in. Since her debut against Silva, Cyborg has continued to compete in boxing, maintaining an undefeated record of 7-0 with 5 knockouts as of May 2026, and has even captured the WIBA Light Middleweight World Championship, making her the first combat sports athlete to hold major world championships in both boxing and MMA simultaneously.
Cris Cyborg vs Simone Silva Full Card Highlights
Beyond the highly anticipated main event, Fight Music Show 2 offered a diverse card that blended combat sports with entertainment. Another significant bout on the night featured Brazilian boxing legend Acelino “Popó” Freitas, a four-time world boxing champion in two divisions, against MMA veteran Jose “Pelé” Landi-Jons. Freitas, who had previously fought YouTuber Whindersson Nunes to a draw in the first Fight Music Show, delivered a spectacular performance, winning his exhibition fight against Landi-Jons by knockout in less than a minute, much to the crowd’s delight. The full card included a mix of boxing and MMA bouts, featuring both established fighters and celebrity matchups:
- Sérgio Bertoluci vs Chico Salgado
- Thor Silva vs Paulo Rangel
- Patricia Alujas vs Andressa Romero
- Edivan Santos vs Alison Vicente
- John Allan vs Diego Dias
- William Macario vs Luan Santiago
- Milton Vieira vs Felipe Arantes
- Acelino Freitas vs Jose Landi-Jons
- Cris Cyborg vs Simone Silva
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