Is Leah McCourt next for Cris Cyborg?

There was a time when everything pointed to a Cris Cyborg X Leah McCourt showdown for the Bellator MMA World Championship belt.  That time was very different than the time we are in now.  October 2023 Cyborg faced Cat Zingano as the Co Main event of Bellator 300 when the card also featured Leah McCourt squaring off against number one contender Sara McMann.

McMann had previously fought Ronda Rousey for the UFC Championship and after transitioning to Bellator MMA as a free agent had positioned herself for a possible matchup against Cris Cyborg provided she could get past the top Bellator MMA veteran Leah McCourt.  Cyborg went on to smash Cat Zingnao in round 1 whole Leah McCourt did something very similar defeating Sara McMann at 4 minutes and 30 seconds of the opening round.

Immediately following Cyborg’s impressive win over Zingano, McCourt was brought into the cage and faced off against Cyborg as what was expected to be the next fight in Cyborg’s Bellator MMA journey before news of PFL MMA’s eventual purchase was made public.  PFL MMA snagged the top contenders and Cyborg transitioned to a fight with Larissa Pacheco while Leah McCourt fought Sara Collins as the main event at the O2 in London.

A fight card which was supposed to be headlined by Johnny Eblen Vs Fabian Edwards, Leah McCourt stepped up and fought through a sickness suffering a first round loss to Sara Collins in the process. McCourt who would have been best advised to sit out the night went and fought for the new promotion providing them with a world class fight that eventually saw Sara Collins steal the number 1 contender ranking and an eventual fight with Cyborg.

Now that Cyborg has faced Sara Collins, Leah McCourt appears to be set to enter the circle as a contender possibility as she looks to get back into the featherweight division having still holding a top 10 ranking at 145lbs.  With one final fight on her contract is Cris Cyborg Vs Leah McCourt the retirement fight to make? While Leah McCourt is coming from a loss to Sara Collins in a thin division she has the largest international fan base and is capable of bringing A level media.  A career Featherweight Leah McCourt has literally fought everyone in the division accept Cyborg.