By Larissa Pacheco is gearing up for a high-stakes bout against Cris Cyborg in the co-main event of the PFL pay-per-view on October 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While Cris Cyborg is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in women’s MMA history, Pacheco expects some fans and analysts to downplay her victory if she defeats her fellow Brazilian.
Pacheco enters the fight on an impressive 10-fight winning streak, which includes PFL championship titles in two weight classes and a notable decision win over Kayla Harrison in 2022. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Pacheco expressed her confidence, saying, “I think this [Cyborg fight] gives a gigantic push to my career. Beating her, when I beat her, they’ll still say, ‘Oh, it’s easy now, Larissa is nine years younger than Cris.’ They’ll always have excuses for my wins. But I couldn’t care less. What matters is to go there and win and prove it to myself. I have nothing to prove to anyone else. No one pays my bills and I don’t owe anyone anything.”
Pacheco’s rivalry with Harrison is well-known, as she handed Harrison her only MMA loss. Harrison, who is likely one win away from a shot at the UFC bantamweight title after a dominant debut against Holly Holm, went 1-2 against Pacheco in their three encounters in the PFL. Despite their competitive history, Pacheco wishes Harrison well, saying, “I want her to be champion, to continue to grow, and everything goes well in her life, and she only has one [loss] there. ‘Larissa! Larissa!’ Echoing forever in her head,” she added with a laugh.
Since leaving the UFC in 2019, Cyborg has won six consecutive MMA fights and four additional bouts in boxing. Although there were delays in setting up the fight with Cyborg, Pacheco remained hopeful and continued to train, waiting for the match to materialize. “This fight is not a dream for me, it’s not something I’ve looked up to my entire career because she wasn’t even in the PFL until this year,” Pacheco said. She recalled a conversation with a friend from seven years ago, who reminded her that she had predicted they would fight one day when she was still a fan of Cyborg.
Looking ahead to the bout, Pacheco noted the unpredictability of the fight given their similar aggressive styles. “We have an idea of how the fight will play out, but we never know for sure,” she explained. “We have a similar style, we’re both aggressive and walk forward the entire time, no turning back. For some people, it’s like a lottery. Who goes down first? I don’t know, it’s hard to say, but all I know is that we’ll both give our all in there. Cris has a unique style and will do everything she can to win, so it’s going to be a historic fight.”
The anticipated clash between Pacheco and Cyborg is set to be a defining moment in both their careers, with fans eagerly awaiting the outcome of what promises to be a thrilling and historic battle.
