Fighter Spotlight: Larissa Pacheco
With her most recent win against Kayla Harrison, Larissa Pacheco has officially entered the chat.
On November 25, 2022, Larissa Pacheco defeated Kayla Harrison on the biggest stage to secure a $1 million check from the PFL. She overcame +500 odds and two previous losses to the Judo Olympian and has made history as she heads into a new PFL season.
Pacheco reflected on winning such a large sum of money in one night, courtesy of the PFL:
Pacheco got married two years ago, and the support that she has received from her wife has been invaluable.
This upcoming Saturday, Pacheco faces Julia Budd in her promotional debut at 145 lbs. She will fight at least four times this year to keep her spot as a PFL champion.
BEGINNINGS
Larissa Pacheco's family is based out of Marituba, Brazil. She began training in Muay Thai at 15 and quickly transitioned to an MMA career.
When Larissa Pacheco fights, her family and friends all get together at home to support her.
In the span of a year and a half, Pacheco managed to build a perfect 9-0 record, culminating in a Jungle Fight Women's Bantamweight Championship against current UFC Bantamweight title contender Irene Aldana. After one more title defense, Pacheco got a call to join the UFC at 19.
On September 13, 2014, Larissa Pacheco debuted in the UFC against Jéssica Andrade at Women's Bantamweight on short notice. Pacheco was the youngest fighter in the promotion at the time. Andrade won by first-round submission, but Pacheco wasn't given adequate time to prepare for a fighter who would become a UFC champion. She got one more chance in the octagon but would again face a would-be champion in Germaine de Randamie. Pacheco fought well against de Randamie but suffered a freak injury in the second round. Pacheco's arm broke when she blocked a head kick, which allowed de Randamie to find a TKO.
Despite these setbacks, Pacheco would re-tool after an extended layoff and win a regional Featherweight belt three years later against ranked UFC veteran Karol Rosa. The finish gave her a ticket into the TUF house for Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter.
Under the UFC banner (and before she could turn 24), Larissa Pacheco would go from fighting two would-be champions to the eventual winner of TUF. Unfortunately, she was matched against Macy Chiasson in the tournament's first round and bowed out with a first-round TKO loss.
WELCOME TO THE PFL
Larissa Pacheco found a new mountain to climb when she entered the PFL in 2019. After beginning her career at bantamweight and taking a few fights at featherweight, she entered the 2019 Season as a full-fledged lightweight fighter. Of course, she would continue her trend of being matched up against the most formidable fighter possible, facing Kayla Harrison in her first PFL fight. While Pacheco would take home the loss, she could be optimistic that she was the first fighter Kayla Harrison had faced to take her to the scorecards.
Pacheco would follow this fight with two consecutive wins, including a decision over former Strikeforce and Invicta FC champion Sarah Kaufman. These two wins put Pacheco in the PFL Finals for the first time, and she would face Kayla Harrison for the second time that season. Harrison would again win by decision, but this would be the last loss in Pacheco's career to date.
The PFL was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic but returned in 2021. It's safe to say that it was at this point that Pacheco fell in love with her hands because she earned first-round knockouts in her two fights that year. This streak included a knockout win against Olena Kolesnyk that particularly impressed fans because she found the knockout while moving backward.
Pacheco earned the top seed in the tournament that year but was forced to exit due to injury. Regardless, her sights were set on the 2022 season, and a killer instinct was forged inside her, completing her development as a fighter.
Pacheco immediately picked up from where she left off, scoring two consecutive first-round KOs in the 2022 PFL regular season. In the playoffs, she was once again slotted into the top seed because of her quick finishes and found another first-round finish against Olena Kolesnyk. Pacheco was finally ready to climb that lofty mountain peak she started working toward in 2019.
In the 2022 PFL playoffs Finals, Larissa Pacheco finally realized her full potential to win a Unanimous Decision against the seemingly invincible Kayla Harrison. Pacheco took rounds two, four, and five on all of the judges' scorecards, giving her a legitimate claim toward a spot at the top of Women's MMA.
Pacheco's sights are now set on defending her status as the Queen of the PFL, but she also welcomes another future matchup with Harrison.
NEW SEASON, NEW CHALLENGES
As Larissa Pacheco heads into her first fight of the 2023 season against Julia Budd, she knows there will be a long road ahead.
Pacheco has been laser-focused on ensuring she is ready to make the 145lb limit multiple times in one calendar year and knows there will be several different challengers to game plan for. Still, Pacheco knows that she now sits at the mountain's peak.
Looking forward, Larissa Pacheco is ready to continue facing more significant challenges as she works toward improving her legacy in the sport. Her focus is on the present, but her ultimate dream is to be recognized among the greats.
At 28 years old, the sky is the limit for the wrecking ball from Marituba.
A special thank you goes out to Sam Lee, who translated Larissa's answers during the interview. This wouldn't have been possible without you!
