Who will PFL champ Cris Cyborg face in her retirement fight?

This past Saturday in the co-main event of PFL Lyon, the women’s featherweight title was on the line. The legend Cris Cyborg (29-2) was looking to add another world title to her resume as she took on the undefeated Sara Collins (6-1).

Look, I didn’t expect this fight to be close and it really wasn’t. Cyborg had her way with Collins and ultimately submitted Collins in the third round with a rear naked choke to become the new featherweight champion.

With her win, Cyborg has now become a world champion in the UFC, PFL, Bellator, Invicta, and Strikeforce. Every promotion the 40-year-old Cyborg has fought in, she’s become a world champion. Simply put, she’s one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.

She admitted after winning the title on Saturday that she only has one fight left before she hangs up her gloves in MMA forever. Cyborg had two names on her mind and those names were Leah McCourt (8-4) or a potential superfight at 135 pounds with PFL star Dakota Ditcheva (15-0).

Who will the PFL book for Cyborg’s retirement?

If you want the biggest fight possible, of course you’d want to book Cyborg against Dakota Ditcheva. However, that would be an awful idea for the promotion and I can’t see it happening. For starters, Cyborg is a featherweight and Ditcheva is a flyweight.

Cyborg cutting to 135 at 40 is an awful idea and having your star flyweight move up ten pounds to face one of the greatest of all time who is significantly bigger and stronger is an even worse idea. I expect the PFL to give Ditcheva a flyweight title fight with Liz Carmouche should she win her fight in February. A fight with Cyborg is a non-starter.

Personally, I would’ve loved to see Cyborg run it back with Larissa Pacheco (23-5) for her retirement, but Pacheco was recently released by the PFL so that fight is off the table. That would’ve been the best fight they could possibly make.

McCourt hasn’t fought since she lost to Sara Collins, but she’s honestly the best opponent that’s likely available that Cyborg hasn’t fought. With that, I’m ultimately expecting Cyborg to get a retirement fight against McCourt where she’ll likely win and ride off into the sunset.