Los Angeles, CA — Cris Cyborg will return to face Arlene Blencowe for the second time atop Bellator 279 in just under two weeks’ time.
The promotion will be heading to Honolulu, Hawaii for the event on April 23, with Cyborg looking for her fourth title defense under the Bellator banner. And having conquered every promotion she’s fought in, including Strikeforce, Invicta FC, the UFC, and now Bellator, the Brazilian champ was asked what keeps her motivated.
It’s a question she gets asked a lot, she told Bellator play-by-play man Mauro Ranallo during a press conference in Los Angeles promoting the event on Monday.
“I love to fight, and I always wanted to be the champion, but to be the champion of people’s hearts for me is the most important,” Cyborg (25-2, 1NC) replied. “Because the belt, maybe I hold it today, maybe I’m not going to hold it tomorrow, but in the people’s hearts I can be the champion.”
And so, she continued, “I like to continue sharing my faith, continue helping the community, continue promoting my events in Brazil and opening the door for other fighters. So this is motivation every day.”
And as long as her heart has the fire for it, Cyborg added, “I’m going to continue to fight.”
As for the two names Cyborg is notably not fighting this month — Cat Zingano and Kayla Harrison — the champ wouldn’t say if she felt they’d been ducking her.
“Maybe after the fight with Arlene Blencowe, I can answer this question,” she told Cageside Press.
Bellator 279 takes place on Saturday April 23, 2022 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. Cris Cyborg puts her women’s featherweight title on the line against Arlene Blencowe in the main event.
