Vieira targets Rousey and Ditcheva after PFL debut clash with Cyborg in Tampa

Ketlen Vieira steps into the PFL cage for the first time on August 22 at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, challenging ‘Grand Slam’ featherweight champion Cris Cyborg for the title — a fight the Brazilian describes as “the opportunity I’ve wanted my entire life”.

Cyborg arrives having fought only twice in MMA since the PFL-Bellator merger, defeating Larissa Pacheco and Sara Collins, while spending the bulk of her recent competitive time in boxing with six bouts in the ring. Vieira, a UFC veteran, is well aware of the featherweight division’s limited depth among women but sees the promotion’s upcoming MVP MMA merger as a catalyst for new possibilities.

Vieira missed the 145-pound weight limit by seven pounds ahead of the main event due to health issues during the cut, yet insists her focus on the Cyborg fight is undimmed. Beyond Saturday, she has already mapped out a wish list of opponents for 2026 and 2027.

“There’s also Dakota [Ditcheva], who is a big name at 125,” Vieira told MMA Fighting. “I can’t make 125, unfortunately, but if she moved up to bantamweight, that’s another fight I’d like to have. She’s a big name. Or Ronda [Rousey], too. I’ve fought pretty much all the big names already. The only ones missing are Ronda and Amanda [Nunes].”

Unlike Cyborg, who is restricted to featherweight, Vieira believes her size gives her flexibility across two divisions. She expects PFL to open a women’s bantamweight class once the MVP merger is complete, which would allow her to campaign at 135 pounds as well as 145.

“My situation is a little different from Cris Cyborg’s because I can make bantamweight,” Vieira explained. “PFL doesn’t have the division yet, but I believe that with this merger, they’ll eventually open up bantamweight, so I wouldn’t be limited.”

Vieira has one previous featherweight appearance on her record, a UFC bout against Macy Chiasson that was moved up a division after she suffered abdominal cramps during fight week. She has long considered the weight class a natural fit given her frame, but the UFC’s fading 145-pound women’s division left her without a clear path there during her time with the promotion.

For now, all attention falls on Cyborg — a former UFC, Bellator, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce champion — in what Vieira regards as the defining fight of her career to date.