WASHINGTON D.C. — Larissa
Pacheco is arguably the most accomplished women’s fighter in
Professional Fighters League history, even with former Olympic
gold medalist Kayla
Harrison having won the PFL’s lightweight title multiple times
and owning two wins over the Brazilian.
When Harrison departed the promotion for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2024, there was no denying
what she had done in her time with the PFL, but Pacheco, who
defeated Harrison in their third and most recent meeting, now had a
case for her accomplishments with the company.
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Traveling a completely opposite path than Harrison, Pacheco joined
the PFL in 2019 after a brief tenure with the UFC from 2014 to 2015
and has built herself quite a long championship résumé. Having lost
in the 2019 Championship to Harrison, Pacheco would etch her name
in PFL history in 2022 and 2023, where she won both the women’s
lightweight and featherweight championships in separate years,
becoming the first two-division female champion in PFL history.
Those accomplishments, including the 2023 featherweight
championship, have laid the framework for Pacheco with another
highlight opportunity in a superfight against Cristiane
Justino, the only women’s Grand Slam champion in mixed martial
arts history. Better known as Cris Cyborg, the fellow Brazilian
earned titles in
Invicta Fighting Championships, Strikeforce,
UFC and Bellator
MMA. A win could make a case for Pacheco joining the discussion
among the greatest female fighters ever.
On Thursday, the two were scheduled to meet at the “Battle of the
Giants” press conference in Washington D.C., but Cyborg had to
cancel due to a family emergency. Still coming out to make a quick
appearance, Pacheco released a short but very impactful statement
on the upcoming on Oct. 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“This is the most anticipated fight in women’s MMA history,”
Pacheco said. “I am thrilled with the opportunity. I am here to
showcase my work. Cris Cyborg is a legend, and I am here to beat
the legend and become the legend.”