Cris Cyborg, a former mixed martial arts star, achieved a first-round KO victory over Kelsey Wickstrom in her second professional boxing match. Cyborg’s record now stands at 2 wins, 0 losses, and 1 KO.
The fight saw little action initially, with both junior middleweights jockeying for position. However, midway through the first round, Cyborg landed a powerful overhand right to Wickstrom’s head, sending her to the canvas.
Struggling to her feet, Wickstrom couldn’t continue, prompting the referee to call off the match at 1:21.
Cris Cyborg (@criscyborg) 1st round KO!!! 🥊 #boxing (via 🎥 @NeoValeTudo) pic.twitter.com/i24ktzvOze
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) January 20, 2024
38-year-old Cyborg, hailing from Curitiba, Brazil, has had successful stints in the UFC, Strikeforce, Bellator, and Invicta. Her most recent MMA appearance was a first-round stoppage of Cat Zingano at the Bellator 300 card near San Diego on October 7th.
Following her win over Zingano, Cyborg took a break before starting training with Jose Benavidez Sr. the next month, the father and trainer of undefeated super middleweight challenger David Benavidez.
Friday’s match was Cyborg’s second professional boxing venture, having previously fought in December 2022 on the undercard for Terrence Crawford vs. David Avanesyan. She secured a one-sided decision victory after dropping Gabriel Holloway once during the fight.
Known as Cristiane Venancio Giustino, Cyborg expressed her dedication to boxing and her desire for a potential match against Ring Magazine middleweight champion Claressa Shields.
Wickstrom, residing in Redding, Calif., holds a record of 2-1, 1 KO. In her last fight, she defeated Sudana Moore in the third round on April 29.
Another highlight of the event was featherweight Ulysses Navarro from Los Angeles, who boasted 2 wins, 0 losses, and 2 KOs after knocking out Michael Hansen in 1 minute and 21 seconds.
Additionally, junior middleweight Angel Munoz from Fayetteville, North Carolina, improved his record to 6-0, 5 KOs after securing a four-round stoppage win (1-7-1) over Keith Carson. Carson’s corner threw in the towel in the fourth round.
Francisco A. Salazar has been writing for The Ring since October 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and overseas since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. You can contact him at: [email protected]
