Reigning BKFC flyweight champion Christine Ferea has expressed interest in fighting MMA champion Cris Cyborg in a bare-knuckle competition, with BKFC president Dave Feldman revealing that Cyborg has shown interest in potentially moving into bare-knuckle fighting.
Cris Cyborg’s name is synonymous with MMA titles. Now, she’s dipping her toes in boxing. But what about a bare-knuckle fight?
Christine Ferea, the reigning BKFC flyweight champion, is all for it. She’s looking for big fights to boost her career. She’s currently prepping for a rematch with UFC and Bellator veteran Bec Rawlings at BKFC 56. But she hopes to raise her profile enough to entice someone like Cyborg or boxing champ Amanda Serrano to challenge her in a bare-knuckle bout.
“I do want big names but I have to earn it,” Ferea candidly shared with MMA Fighting. She knows she needs to catch the attention of Serrano or Cyborg. She needs to offer them something worth their while. They’re in positions where they don’t need anyone or anything. She needs to bring something to the table for them, not just for herself.
“So of course I want Amanda Serrano, I would fight Cris Cyborg,” Ferea continued. She knows she has to make it worth their while. She believes huge knockouts, bigger numbers, and more attention could entice them to come over.
Serrano, who has fought in MMA before, typically competes between 125 and 140 pounds. That’s right in line with Ferea’s weight as a BKFC flyweight. But Cyborg would be a different story. She’s held numerous titles as a featherweight and is much larger than 145 pounds.
But Ferea isn’t fazed. She loves the idea of challenging herself against the biggest and best opponents. And Cyborg is as big and best as they come.
“Cris Cyborg, she outweighs me by at least 40 pounds,” Ferea acknowledged. She sees this as a chance to level the playing field for Cyborg’s bare-knuckle debut.
“It’s a dangerous fight for me but I would do it. Definitely,” Ferea stated. She’d have to do it at 145 because Cyborg can’t go lower than that. It’s a huge task, like a Bob Sapp versus Ernesto Hoost in kickboxing. For women, it’s a big jump for her at 125.
Ferea isn’t just dreaming. She’s discussed the possibility with BKFC president Dave Feldman. And Feldman revealed that Cyborg has shown interest in bare-knuckle fighting.
“[Christine Ferea] said, ‘Hey boss, I want to fight Cris Cyborg,’ and the funny thing is Cris Cyborg actually reached out to us,” Feldman shared with MMA Fighting. He didn’t confirm anything, but he didn’t rule it out either.
“Imagine Cris Cyborg throwing down bare-knuckle. That would be unbelievable,” Feldman mused. He thinks a match-up with Ferea, who doesn’t back down, could be exciting.
Cyborg is currently scheduled for a boxing match in January. She’s also just signed a new multi-fight deal with Bellator, now under PFL’s ownership. But PFL has allowed fighters like Francis Ngannou to pursue boxing and Bellator gave Michael Page permission to cross over for a BKFC fight against Mike Perry. So, it’s not impossible.
Feldman hasn’t personally spoken to Cyborg yet about possibly teaming up in the future. But he hopes to have that conversation sooner rather than later.
“I didn’t talk to her but she reached out and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to do a bare-knuckle [fight],’” Feldman revealed. He wasn’t ready to reach out then, but he’s open to it after this fight. He’s definitely going to see if they can make something happen.