PFL Tampa results: Cris Cyborg defends title in hard-fought battle, sends message to Claressa Shields, Kayla Harrison

In the main event of PFL Tampa, held on Saturday night in Florida, Cris Cyborg successfully defended her featherweight title against Ketlen Vieira, who was disqualified from winning due to missing weight by seven pounds. The fight commenced with Cyborg utilizing jabs to Vieira's body, but struggled to gain ground and secure a takedown against her heavier opponent.

Cyborg inflicted damage on Vieira with a calf kick in Round 2, but the Venezuelan fighter retaliated to strike Cyborg late in the same round. As the match progressed, Cyborg focused intensely on takedowns in Round 3, utilizing heavy ground-and-pound while Vieira attempted to close guard and threaten with armbars. However, Vieira countered one of Cyborg's takedowns with a judo throw, leaving the champion bloodied with her own ground-and-pound.

The final stage of the fight saw Cyborg score an early takedown, but Vieira quickly regained her footing and took the champion down. Cyborg managed to regain her standing with 90 seconds remaining on the clock, and they then exchanged blows until the final bell rang. Cyborg and Vieira combined for 308 strikes over five rounds of action, and all three judges scored the fight in favor of Cyborg (49-46, 48-47, 49-46).

The seasoned veteran now enters free agency with a 30-2 record and a 10-fight win streak, and remains undefeated for nearly eight years. Following the fight, Cyborg described Vieira as a "big test" and expressed her readiness to take on any opponent at any weight. She also called out boxing legend Claressa Shields, telling her to "eat less" and make 160 pounds for a boxing match, before directing a challenge to UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison, who had attended the event to support her American Top Team teammates.