Former UFC and current Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg or Cristiane Justino Venancio is a force to be reckoned with. A veteran in the realm of MMA, Cyborg has been associated with the true eruption of women’s fighting owing to a stellar record of 27-2-0. All these accolades have ascended her to the all-time list of greatest female fighters in MMA.

Naturally, fans are always curious about the background and origin of their favorite stars. Similarly, you might want to know more about ‘Cyborg’, and how she started out in mixed martial arts. So let’s dive deep into her whole life and see how she grew up and why she came into combat sports.

Is Cris Cyborg Brazilian? Ethnicity and nationality

‘Cyborg’ was born on July 9, 1985, in Curitiba to Brazilian parents. Her parents underwent a divorce and unfortunately, she grew up while seeing her father suffering from alcoholism. Cyborg started her sports career at the tender age of 12 and played handball at the national level in Brazil. She was already winning numerous, athletic scholarships to private universities due to her caliber in sports. Ultimately, she chose the path of physical education in the capital of Paraná, Curitiba.

Surprisingly, she was always interested in handball, rather than mixed martial arts, and decided to move to the city of Cascavel to pursue the sport professionally, and finish college. However, everything changed when the ‘Cyborg’ was discovered by Rudimar Fedrigo, head trainer and founder of Chute Boxe Academy who was impressed by her huge physique and tenacity.

During an interview with Bleacher Report, Cyborg reflected, “He came to talk to me and said, ‘You like fighting?’ I said, ‘No! I don’t like fighting.’ I’d never been in a fight before. But he said, ‘I think you could be a great fighter.’ And he gave me a Chute Boxe card. But for a long time, I didn’t go. I wasn’t interested in fighting.”

Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her, and she was awestruck the first time she stepped into a gym. All her carefully laid out plans for college and becoming a handball athlete changed. She married a fighter, Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos, taking both his name and his alias, and started the tough job of becoming one of the greatest women’s fighters the world has ever known.

She reiterated the funny way she convinced her parents that she could go into the world of MMA. ‘Cyborg’ told Bleacher Report, “My mom didn’t like it. She did not agree with it. She thought of it as street fighting. My dad too. He said, ‘I didn’t work so hard to give my kid the best things so she could be a fighter.’ My mom always wanted me to be a dentist. I told her I would still be taking out teeth.” However, now the Brazilian champ is an inspiration for many young women who aspire to be fighters like her. At age 39, Cyborg has truly broken numerous records and indeed, many teeth in her way.

More about Cris Cyborg’s life

‘Cyborg’ made her MMA debut in May 2005 at Showfight 2 against Erica Paes. Suffering a loss in her first outing, she bounced back with a 7 fight winning streak that included a victory over Shayna Baszler before fighting Gina Carano for the inaugural Strikeforce Featherweight Championship in 2009. This bout is considered a landmark event in the history of women’s MMA and forged the path for future champions to walk upon. Mind you, this was nearly 6 years before the ‘Ronda Rousey’ era which is living proof of how important the Brazilian juggernaut has been to the sport.

However, while defending her title against Hiroko Yamanaka she tested positive for stanozolol after her fight and was stripped of her title and given a one-year suspension. She returned in 2013 and signed with Invicta FC and then made her way to the UFC in 2016 where she clashed in a legacy bout against Amanda Nunes at UFC 232. 

She has kept on continuing the legacy of Brazilian fighters in the UFC and doing an exclusive interview with Andrew Whitelaw. ‘Cyborg’ answered why Brazilians are so resilient. The current PFL fighter said, “I think this sport, it opens the doors for a lot of fighters, you know… there’s Shoot box and Jiu Jitsu, and Muay Thai is too very strong in Brazil. And I think it’s the opportunity for life. I think they can see that this opportunity can change their lives.”

The youth of Brazil look up to several fighters and want to make a career in the same field as their idols. And with the dominant career Cyborh has had, she is truly inspiring for young fighters around the world. What do you think of her journey in MMA? Tell us in the comments below.