You may have heard the phrase: the couple that plays together stays together.

Evangelista and Cris Santos take it to another level.

Cris, the reigning Strikeforce world middleweight champion and unanimous top female MMA fighter in the world, is trying to help her husband get his first title. Evangelista will fight Nick Diaz Saturday for the Strikeforce welterweight title.

So when Cris throws down her husband in the octagon, she does it out of pure love.

"It's awesome," Evangelista said through a translator. "It's a great motivation, how we motivate each other. I helped her to get her belt and now she's helping me to get my belt."

Originally from Brazil, the couple married in 2006 and came to San Diego separately - Cris in 2008 and Evangelista two years later.

They routinely work out, and spar, together at the Arena Gym in Midway, and 33 year-old Evangelista has helped 25 year-old Cris retain the 145-pound title she won in 2009.

"I love training with men," Cris said through a translator. "I feel like if I can handle training with men, I know women will be an easier feat."

The two met when Cris converted from handball to mixed martial arts, and it was love at first fight.

"The attraction has always been there since we met," Cris said. "It kind of helped that he helped groom me in this sport so we have a certain level of confidence with each other as far as him being my confidant and confiding in each other and helping me get better at it."

Living in Pacific Beach, they share a life, a career, and even a nickname: Cyborg.

The Cyborgs aren't the only married MMA fighters, but if Evangelista wins the 170-pound title, they will become the first couple to simultaneously wear championship belts.

"It would show the MMA that not just the men can do it," Evangelista said. "But the whole family, like a regular job. Like lawyers. I'd be proud to be the first couple to make this happen."