Cris Cyborg Talks Starring in OFTV Series ‘Rise & Grind’ (Exclusive)

Cris Cyborg is one of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters of all time and has recently made the transition to boxing. Her journey to becoming a top fighter is featured in the new series Rise & Grind which is currently streaming on OFTV. PopCulture.com spoke exclusively to Cyborg about her episode in the series that takes a look at some of the top athletes in the world. 

“You know, it’s really nice that they’re following me before the fight, and my camp training,” Cyborg exclusively told PopCulture. “I think it’s really cool because you can give a little bit more for the fans. Usually, they see me fighting. I have just a couple of fans I met, they’re telling me, ‘Ah, you’re really nice, Cris.’ I am really nice, but this is nicer for the person… I’m not going to be in my lifestyle, as like I do inside the cage, in the ring. So it’s a really cool opportunity for the fans to get in contact more with you backstage, before the fight. When they followed me, it was before I came for my second boxing fight.”

Cyborg won her second boxing match to remain undefeated in the sport. And while she has looked strong as a boxer, she has had her challenges transitioning after being in MMA for 18 years. “It’s quick. You have to think about being quick. Quick thinking,” she said. “Five minutes is a long time to prepare for this stuff, and then you have kick, you can take down, you can do knees, you can do elbows. I have a lot more tools for when you fight MMA than in boxing. But I love it. I love the experience. I always finish my fights. Most fights by KO. So I use my hands. I love using my hands. So this is really nice for preparing for an MMA fight.”

Cyborg is familiar with winning titles, as she’s won championships in Invicta, Strikeforce, UFC and Bellator. But can she become a boxing champion? “For me, I can see that I can do more fights. But I put in my mindset now, I’ve been doing this for 18 years, I want to complete 20 years, or maybe more, with the biggest fight for my fans,” Cyborg explained. “If you’re going to be in the biggest fight for my fans for boxing, I’m going to train really hard and continue to do some fights and to make this fight happen for the fans. And in MMA too, I want to do the biggest fights for the fans, and finish my career with great fights.”