Cris Cyborg is one of the pioneering figures in the world of women's MMA. The 39-year-old fighter has contributed immensely to the growth of the sport and continues to be a must-watch fighter for many fans. While fighters' professional lives unfold right in front of our eyes, many fans are interested in knowing about their favorite fighters' personal lives as well. This article explores Cyborg's relationship with her fiance.
Who is Cris Cyborg engaged to?
Cris Cyborg is engaged to 'Magical' Ray Elbe. Ray Elbe is a former professional mixed martial artist and holds a professional MMA record of 23-11.
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Ray Elbe competed in the welterweight division in many organizations throughout his career. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, sixteen of Elbe's twenty-three wins came via submission.
His professional fighting career spanned almost a decade. However, Ray Elbe's career was marred by injuries, specifically to the knee. He hung up his gloves in 2010. He was on a six-fight winning streak at the time of retirement, having won his last three fights via Round 1 finishes.
Ray Elbe is now a BJJ practitioner and coach. He keeps his social media accounts private.
Cris Cyborg announced her engagement with Ray Elbe in 2017. The two had been dating for a long time before getting engaged. Before her relationship with Ray Elbe, Cris Cyborg was married to MMA fighter Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos from 2005-2011.
When Tito Ortiz claimed that he ended professional association with Cris Cyborg because of Ray Elbe
MMA pioneer and former UFC champion Tito Ortiz's Primetime 360 sports agency represented Cris Cyborg in the 2010s. While he officially stepped down in 2014, Ortiz continued to guide her until a few years later. However, the professional association ended in 2019.
Speaking to The Score, Ortiz claimed that he had to part ways with Cyborg because of the bad decisions that Ray Elbe took. He said:
“I haven’t worked with Cris Cyborg since before the Amanda fight. Her boyfriend [Ray Elbe], I guess you can say manager also, did some bad decisions for her and I kind of had to step away.”
He added:
"I made a lot of mistakes with the UFC, and I tried to keep her from doing the same mistakes. She’s a big girl, and she can make her decisions, but she was making the wrong decisions. Or I could say her boyfriend was making the wrong decisions for her. But that was just my opinion and I wish all the luck to her." [H/T Body Lock]
Despite the alleged bad decision-making, Cyborg has found consistent success after losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 232. She is the reigning Bellator women's featherweight champion and will fight Larissa Pacheco on Oct. 19.