Pacheco (23-5) won PFL Global seasons at both lightweight and featherweight, in the process becoming the only woman to defeat current UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison. The Brazilian, who competed twice for the UFC prior to signing with the PFL, holds notable wins over ex-Invicta FC champ Sarah Kaufman, former Bellator champ Julia Budd, and current UFC contender Irene Aldana, among others.

Despite that resume, and despite having Cris Cyborg under contract, the PFL did away with its featherweight division, instead focusing on flyweight and budding star Dakota Ditcheva. With women’s lightweight long scrapped and Pacheco’s last fight a loss to Cyborg, her days in the promotion were clearly numbered, and have now come to an end.

PFL officials released a statement announcing Larissa Pacheco’s release on Thursday. “Professional Fighters League has released Larissa Pacheco from her contract,” it read. “We thank her for her memorable bouts and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

Pacheco won the PFL Global season at lightweight in 2022, defeating Kayla Harrison in the final to do so. The victory moved their career series to 2-1 in favor of Harrison, who had defeated Pacheco twice previously. The victory was considered a sizeable upset for Pacheco, whose star seemed to have arrived and grew further when she won the promotion’s featherweight season the following year.

After that, however, Pacheco was sat until the Cyborg fight in October 2024. She went the distance with the featherweight legend, losing a unanimous decision. More recently, Pacheco has been seen alongside Amanda Nunes, who is preparing for a comeback fight against Harrison expected sometime in 2026.

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While no date has been set, Harrison vs. Nunes is next for the UFC women’s bantamweight division. The pair faced off in the cage following Harrison’s win over Julianna Pena to capture the 135lb title at UFC 316 last month. “The Lioness,” considered by most to be the women’s MMA GOAT, is coming out of retirement for the fight.

That means time will be needed for fight camp, and as for training partners, it appears Pacheco has volunteered. The two are both natives of Brazil, though Nunes lives and trains in Florida. Pacheco went 1-2 in her career series with Harrison, winning their third and final fight under the PFL banner in a shock upset. All three of the pair’s fights went the distance.

“That’s true, we’ve been talking for [a while], and she [Pacheco] already made herself available to help me,” Nunes said in an interview with journalist Diego Ribas at the 2025 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony (h/t Sherdog). “She already faced Kayla three times, so obviously she will help a lot if she really comes to Florida.”

Nunes also opened up in that same interview about her motivation for returning to the sport, where she held gold at both bantamweight and featherweight in the UFC.

“I love this sport, I was born for it. I’m an athlete, I’m a fighter. I decided because I really still have a lot. And when I was at home at one point, I felt like fighting again, you know?” explained Nunes. “Not for nothing, not to face the gym, not to face coaches, not because I need the money, it’s none of that. For the will to fight. I’m a fighter, you know? I like to fight, I like to challenge myself all the time. And that’s why. I love the UFC, I love being here, I love fighting. I don’t have any injuries, I don’t have anything.”

Nunes confirmed that she’s signed a multi-fight contact, not just a one off to face Harrison, but added “let’s see how it goes.”

The post Only Woman to Defeat Kayla Harrison in MMA Offers to Train with Amanda Nunes appeared first on Cageside Press.

Fearsome Cyborg, the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight champ, shooting takedowns and grappling? Pacheco looking like the fresher fighter, cool under fire at all times and able to hold her own in the stand-up?

In the opening round, it was Cris Cyborg in the driver’s seat along the fence. She tied up Pacheco; they then fired heavy shots off the break. Pacheco was bloodied by the ear.

As the round went on, Cyborg landed a takedown, and looked to secure a Von Flue choke. Pacheco survived, and back on the feet, the pair exchanged fire. Both women were holding their own and Pacheco appeared to be that rare specimen who could handle the fearsome Cyborg’s power. The Bellator champ then shot for another takedown, but Pacheco stayed upright, with her back to the fence. That said, off the break, Cyborg fired a left. Another takedown attempt from Cyborg saw her shoot into a guillotine, deep into it — but Pacheco didn’t quite have it, and was at risk of burning out her arm.

Cyborg would escape, and finish the round on top in a very competitive opening frame. The takedown combined with a glancing head kick may have won her the round.

Round two had Cyborg showing damage, a rare sight. She changed levels early, only for Pacheco to pull back. Cyborg fired a head kick, but didn’t have much on it. A big swing fanned for Cyborg as Pacheco retreated.

At the midway mark, Cyborg timed a takedown perfectly, and planted Pacheco on her back. The pair were along the fence, with Cyborg on top in half guard. Pacheco tried to frame Cyborg off with an elbow across the neck. The Bellator champ looked to land the odd punch and create some space to work; that appeared easier said than done. With 30 seconds or so on the clock the ref stood them up, with little of note from there as they headed to the third. Likely another round for Cris Cyborg.

Cyborg used a little more movement and stayed outside in the third, leading to Pacheco standing still, raising her arms, and suggesting that her fellow Brazilian didn’t want to engage. Pacheco fired a leg kick when they did come together. In this round, when the grappling came into play, it was Pacheco who was able to get on top. Cyborg was against the fence, Pacheco in her guard, with about two minutes on the clock. Cyborg closed her guard and tried to tie up Pacheco, clearly having accepted the position. Pacheco finished the round on top.

Round four saw Cyborg looking a step slower. She had another trail of blood trickling down one side of her face, and had eaten a number of Pacheco leg kicks. Those kicks were money for Larissa Pacheco, who also found success countering Cyborg with her right hand. Pacheco looked fresh as a daisy in comparison to Cyborg, but an overhand right from the legend had Pacheco retreating, and Cyborg on the attack! Pacheco, covering up, survived. Moments later, Pacheco countered a Cyborg kick with that laser-accurate right hand. Cyborg connected with her left in response.

The fifth and final frame had Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco potentially tied. If that was the case, it was going to come down to who had more in the tank. Perhaps with that in mind, Cyborg came out swinging. Like a mirror image, however, Pacheco did as well, at the exact same time, with both just missing. Pacheco then fell back on her low kicks, but Cyborg had a big moment, unleashing a combo and bullying Pacheco back.

Pacheco went after a desperation takedown but survived, and they got back to the feet. Less than half a round remained. Again, Cyborg took some big swings. The right hand was uncorked again in the final 90 seconds of the fight, Cyborg looking to put Pacheco to sleep. Another right followed moments later, and Pacheco was forced to back off. Cyborg then landed a final takedown, nearly rolling through it; she backed off to let Pacheco out, and they both took a few final swings prior to the bell.

In the end, all four judges sided with Cris Cyborg, though the fight was not without its adversity. Pacheco, in fact, arguably gave Cyborg her toughest test since Amanda Nunes knocked her out during her UFC run. Still, it was Cyborg making history, adding a PFL SuperFight title to her Invicta, Strikeforce, Bellator, and UFC belts.

Official Result: Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) 

The post PFL Battle of the Giants: Cris Cyborg Tested by Larissa Pacheco, but Makes History Again appeared first on Cageside Press.

The card happened to feature the debut of lineal heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, a massive free agent signing for the PFL. Yet after inking a deal with the company over a year ago, Ngannou strayed from his MMA path. Instead, he moved to boxing, knocking down Tyson Fury in a split decision loss that he almost certainly should have won, then being knocked out by Anthony Joshua this past March.

Personal tragedy struck after that, with the death of young son Kobe. Ngannou found refuge in the gym, however, and has committed to his return at PFL Battle of the Giants and a few more years of fighting beyond that.

It will be Renan Ferreira welcoming “The Predator” back to the cage. Less high-profile, but a decent threat, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champ has notable wins over Ryan Bader (the Bellator heavyweight champ, during the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card earlier this year) and UFC alums Jared Vanderaa and Maurice Greene.

Ferreira has not faced the same caliber of competition as Ngannou, that much is clear. But with x-factors like Ngannou’s time away from the cage, and the Brazilian’s black belt, the fight is not the blowout on paper it might have been otherwise.

In the co-main event, Bellator women’s featherweight champ Cris Cyborg finally returns to action, going head-to-head with Larissa Pacheco, the two-time, two-division PFL champ at lightweight and featherweight. Also known as the first woman to defeat Kayla Harrison, Pacheco, a former UFC bantamweight, has her work cut out for her against the legendary Cyborg. Prior to those two “super fights” (with special belts on the line), Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen entered a rematch with Fabian Edwards.

Where to Watch PFL Battle of the Giants

Saturday, October 19, 2024 sees the PFL at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact. The action gets underway at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN+ in the U.S., followed by the main card, which begins at 4 PM ET on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. and DAZN PPV in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. Full results from the event can be found below.

PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact Results

Main Card

Francis Ngannou def. Renan Ferreira by TKO, Round 1, 3:32 – for the PFL heavyweight superfights championship
Cris Cyborg def. Larissa Pacheco by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) – for the PFL women’s featherweight superfights championship
Johnny Eblen (c) def Fabian Edwards by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
Zafar Mohsen def. Husein Kadimagomaev by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Paul Hughes def. A.J. McKee by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Preliminary Card

Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 3:01
Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail by submission (triangle), Round 2, 3:51

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On Friday, both Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira successfully made weight for PFL’s Battle of the Giants, with Ngannou coming in just shy of 257 pounds, while Ferreira was a half pound over 261. The fight marks both Ngannou’s return to MMA after a stint in boxing, and his PFL debut, after signing with the promotion as a free agent following another battle – that one with the UFC.

Having waited out his contract, which expired due to a sunset clause, Ngannou was able to secure the sort of money most fighters never see. He’ll make millions for his PFL debut, but as a show that he’s serious about helping fellow fighters, he also secured a $2 million dollar purse for his opponent.

Not too shabby. Also on the card is the return of Cris Cyborg, the Bellator women’s featherweight champ, facing off with two-time, two-division PFL champion Larissa Pacheco. And after being postponed weeks ago, the Bellator middleweight title fight between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards also lands on PFL Battle of the Giants, which seems to be made up of more Bellator stars than it is PFL fighters.

Results from Friday’s weigh-in can be found below; the ceremonial weigh-in video gets underway at 11:30AM ET, 8:30AM PT.

PFL Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou (256.8) vs. Renan Ferreira (261.5) – for the PFL heavyweight superfights championship
Women’s featherweight: Cris Cyborg (144.5) vs. Larissa Pacheco (144.1) – for the PFL women’s featherweight superfights championship
Middleweight: Champ Johnny Eblen (184.7) vs. Fabian Edwards (184.9) – for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
Featherweight: Husein Kadimagomaev (146) vs. Zafar Mohsen (145.8)
Lightweight: A.J. McKee (155.8) vs. Paul Hughes (155.8)

Preliminary Card

Bantamweight: Marcos Breno (136) vs. Raufeon Stots (135.8)
Lightweight: Dedrek Sanders (154.9) vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov (153.6)
Featherweight: Nacho Campos (145.9) vs. Ibragim Ibragimov (145.5)
Featherweight: Taha Bendaoud (145.5) vs. Tariq Ismail (145.1)

The post No Misses, Full Card Makes Weight for PFL Battle of the Giants appeared first on Cageside Press.

The return of lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to mixed martial arts is just under a month away and his new promotion, the PFL, unveiled the complete fight card on Thursday morning for the event taking place on October 19 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Your Battle Of The Giants Fight Card is set 🔐

The countdown to impact is 𝙊𝙉 ⏳💥#PFLSuperFights | #BraceForImpact | Oct 19th pic.twitter.com/npBUbpv6Bb

— PFL (@PFLMMA) September 26, 2024

Leading the recently announced bouts is a featherweight contest between Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1) from Switzerland against Zafar Mohsen (13-4) of Germany who will be rounding out the pay-per-view portion of the card.  Kadimagomaev has built a strong record overseas where he has two appearances under the BRAVE banner and has trained with current UFC middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev.  Mohsen shares a similar path and enters the bout having finished his last three opponents.

Kadimagomaev and Mohsen join a pay-per-view lineup of pivotal bouts that includes the high stakes co-main event between reigning Bellator champion Cris Cyborg against two-time PFL tournament champion Larissa Pacheco, the middleweight rematch between Bellator champion Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards, and a lightweight bout between former Bellator champion AJ McKee and former Cage Warriors champion Paul Hughes.

Leading preliminary action will be former Bellator bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots who takes on Marcos Breno.  Stots is looking to continue building momentum back toward the title after notching his second victory over Danny Sabatello earlier this year.  Brazil’s Breno will be making his second appearance for the Bellator brand and first under the new iteration run by the PFL.  Breno has a previous fight with LFA but has been relatively inactive with only four fights in the past three years.  The two were previously targeted for a fight at the Bellator event earlier this month before it was scratched from the card.

The rest of preliminary card bouts that were announced will see up-and-coming talent from the Middle East and Europe in action with lightweight Makkasharip (15-4) taking on Derek Sanders (9-4), two featherweight bouts Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) vs Nacho Campos (5-0) and Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs Taha Bendaoud (3-0), and a middleweight fight Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs Ahmed Sami (11-4-0-1).

The event is set to take place in Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and will be broadcast on pay-per-view in the United States.

The Full Battle of Giants: Brace for Impact Fight Card:

Heavyweight Main Event: Francis Ngannou (17-3) vs. Renan Ferreira (13-3, 3 NC)
Women’s Featherweight Co-Main Event: Cris “Cyborg” (27-2) vs. Larissa Pacheco (23-4)
Bellator Middleweight World Title Fight: Johnny Eblen (15-0) vs. Fabian Edwards (13-3)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Husein Kadimagomaev (11-1-0, 1 NC) vs Zafar Mohsen (13-4)
Lightweight Main Card Bout: AJ McKee (22-1) vs. Paul Hughes (12-1)

Bantamweight Early Card Bout: Raufeon Stots (20-2) vs Marcos Breno (15-3)
Lightweight Early Card Bout: Makkasharip Zaynukov (15-4) vs Dedrek Sanders (9-4)
Featherweight Early Card Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (7-0) vs Nacho Campos (5-0)
Middleweight Early Card Bout: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs Ahmed Sami (11-4-0, 1 NC)
Featherweight Early Card Bout: Youssef Al Housani (4-1) vs Taha Bendaoud (3-0)

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“The Predator” signed with the Professional Fighters last year, but has competed twice in boxing, against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, with a return date for MMA up in the air until recently. However, on Wednesday, league officials announced via press release that Ngannou (17-3) would face off with 2023 PFL heavyweight champ Renan Ferreira (13-3, 3NC) at “Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact” on October 19, 2024.

Serving as co-headliner will be Bellator MMA women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg (27-2, 1NC), who will take on PFL two-division champ (2022 & 2023, lightweight and featherweight) Larissa Pacheco (23-4) – the first and only woman to defeat Kayla Harrison.

The event will air live on PPV in the U.S. via ESPN+, and DAZN elsewhere. Special “Super Fighters” championship belts will be on the line in both the main and co-main event.

“The Professional Fighters League is excited to announce the highly anticipated return of superstar, undisputed Heavyweight Champion, Francis Ngannou, to MMA in The Battle of the Giants against the most-feared Heavyweight, 6-foot-8 2023 PFL Heavyweight Champion Renan Ferreira in the biggest world title fight of the year,” PFL CEO Peter Murray said via Wednesday’s press release. “On October 19 live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and DAZN worldwide, MMA fans around the world will witness a true battle of the greatest fighters on the planet competing for the PFL Super Fights Championship Belts.”

Ngannou last competed in MMA in January of 2022, when he defeated Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout under the UFC banner. He then found himself embroiled in a contract dispute, exiting the promotion a year later after being unable to come to terms on a new deal. He signed with the PFL later that year.

Cyborg, like Ngannou, has dabbled in boxing of late, last defending her Bellator title against Cat Zingano in October 2023. She has been vocal about pushing for a new date, which she finally has. Neither her opponent, Pacheco, nor Ngannou’s in Ferreira come as any surprise. But while Ferreira defeated Ryan Bader at the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions card earlier this year, Pacheco has been dormant since winning the league’s featherweight title last year.

No venue or location has been announced for Battle of the Giants: Brace for Impact.

The post PFL Announces Ngannou vs. Ferreira, Cyborg vs. Pacheco for “Battle of the Giants” appeared first on Cageside Press.

The intrigue for fights to be made in 2024 may be higher than it has been for many years after recent events in the world of MMA.

With the acquisition of Bellator MMA by the PFL and the return of several big stars on the horizon, the number of fights that could be made in the next twelve months is plentiful.  Which makes narrowing this list down far more difficult than it was the year prior.

2022 saw several of the fights from the 2021 list happen.  However, none of the fights from last years list materialized which speaks to the parity that was seen in 2023 and was evidenced by the eight UFC titles that changed hands.  Going into 2024, these are the top bouts that would be gigantic for the MMA calendar.

5. Jake Paul vs Mike Perry

Never has “The Problem Child” been closer to a real MMA fight than he is now.  The announcement of his MMA debut with the PFL was met with great fanfare and felt like a sign of great things to come.  However, his debut being roughly 20 months away from the announcement has taken the wind out of the sails of the news.

Furthermore, it feels like the time is now or never for Jake Paul to finally step into the cage.  Paul’s focus on the stars of mixed martial arts has been a thing of the past for the last several months.  Following his victory over Nate Diaz in August, Paul turned his attention to rising boxing contender Andre August for his most recent bout this month and shortly after it was announced that he would be working with Team USA’s Olympic boxing team in 2024.  While Paul made his name in combat sports by targeting former MMA champions and legends, it would appear that the next phase of his fighting career will see him focusing on his contemporaries that specialize in the sweet science.

Enter Mike Perry, whose post-UFC career has seen him become Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s breakout star.  His run over the last two years has seen him compete in the Triad Combat ring to notching victories over the likes of Michael “Venom” Page, Luke Rockhold, and Eddie Alvarez.  “Platinum” is also no stranger to speaking his mind and bringing his brashness to the pre-fight festivities.

While Perry would enter the bout with a fair amount of experience, the youth and size of Paul would be expected to equalize the disparity.  Taking into account that Paul was also an established wrestler in high school and “The Problem Child” appears to have the perfect dance partner for his PFL debut later this year.

The post Top MMA Fights to Make in 2024 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tony Ferguson’s DUI Case Dismissed, Takes Plea Deal

UFC 296 star Tony Ferguson, who is set to throw down with Paddy Pimblett, has had a DUI charge dismissed as part of a plea deal. The misdemeanor DUI count was dismissed by a Los Angeles county court in exchange for Ferguson pleading No Contest (or nolo contendere) to a misdemeanor wet reckless driving charge.

Ferguson will serve one year of probation under the deal, agreed up by the prosecution and defense before Judge Shannon K. Cooley this past week.

MMA Junkie was first to report news of the deal. Ferguson was arrested back in May, but it does not appear to have interfered with his fighting career. Still, he’ll enter UFC 296 badly in need of a win — having dropped six straight.

Larissa Pacheco next for Bellator featherweight champ Cris Cyborg

Finally, the best women’s featherweights on the planet are all housed under one roof.

With the UFC scrapping the weight class (which they never truly built) following the retirement of Amanda Nunes, the likes of Cris Cyborg, Cat Zingano, Larissa Pacheco, Kayla Harrison, Arlene Blencowe, Aspen Ladd, and others all fall under the PFL banner — now that the company has acquired Bellator MMA.

While Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg has long been a dream fight, PFL founder Donn Davis confirmed following the PFL Championship on Friday that it’s newly crowned PFL women’s featherweight champ Larissa Pacheco who will be next for the fearsome Cyborg. That makes sense, as a PFL champions vs. Bellator champions card is planned for early 2024.

“It’s champ vs. champ,” Davis revealed during Friday’s post-fight press conference (h/t MMA Junkie). “Larissa has earned that. But will Cris then fight Kayla in 2024? One-hundred percent. That is going to happen. Cris will have two fights in 2024, Kayla will have two fights in 2024, and one of those will be Cris against Kayla. We think that Larissa has earned that.

“Once again, you have to do champ vs. champ. Cris is the champ of Bellator. Larissa is the champ here. We have to see that fight happen first. Coming out of that, you’ll see Cris Cyborg vs. Kayla Harrison as the next fight in 2024.”

Loma Lookboonmee vs. Bruna Brasil Booked for Feb. 10

A very alliterative women’s strawweight booking has been added to the UFC’s Feb. 10, 2024 Fight Night event, as Loma Lookboonmee will face Bruna Brasil.

News of the booking was first reported by MMA Fighting.

Brasil (9-3-1) is coming off a single win, while Lookboonmee (8-3) has put together back-to-back wins.

The Feb. 10 card is headlined by Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer in a middleweight match-up.

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Having dethroned Kayla Harrison to claim the women’s lightweight title a year ago, and undefeated through nine straight fights, there was little question Pacheco was entering the 2023 final brimming with confidence.

Right out of the gate, Pacheco opened fire, backing Mokhnatkina up with lefts and rights. Marina managed to escape, and circled the cage, but had to be wary of a high kick from Pacheco. Moments later, a right hand over the top was trailed by a left hook for Pacheco, who was continually testing Mokhnatkina’s defenses, not to mention chin. Mokhnatkina continued to backpedal, circle, and finally grabbed Pacheco’s leg off a kick, looking for a takedown. It wasn’t there; Mokhnatkina got the Brazilian up against the fence, but instead had to contend with a guillotine attempt.

Pacheco looked to have the choke in tight. But Mokhnatkina was able to survive, with Pacheco wrenching her opponent down. But Mokhnatkina rolled, right into a kneebar! A nasty one, that Pacheco just gutted her way through. Mokhnatkina continued to attack the kneebar, with Pacheco just refusing to tap! Somehow she gutted it out, pulled free, then launched a nasty amount of ground n’ pound. Now it was Mokhnatkina’s turn to survive, and somehow, she did, while Pacheco complained about Marina’s toe hooking her shorts — likely accidental, and not likely to have made much difference.

Early in the second, Mokhnatkina landed a takedown, only for Larissa Pacheco to quickly scramble to her feet. At range, Marina fired a spinning back first that sailed wide. Pacheco walked her opponent down, with the clear edge on the feet. But with just under two minutes to go, Marina Mokhnatkina landed a takedown off a well-timed level change, with plenty of time to work from inside Pacheco’s guard. Despite this, the ref quickly stood the pair up, deciding that he wasn’t seeing enough action on the ground.

Round three saw Pacheco connect early after another low-percentage spinning back fist attempt by Marina Mokhnatkina. Pacheco walked the Russian fighter down, as Mokhnatkina circled along the fence. But a number of right hands landed for Larissa Pacheco. And the damage was starting to show on Marina. When they went to the ground just past the midway mark, Pacheco fired some wild hammerfists. As she passed into mount, Pacheco ripped the body with hard shots. She then had 90 seconds to work form mount, landing ground n’ pound as Mokhnatkina covered up. The Russian once again survived, and Pacheco instead took the back, getting both hooks in.

Entering the championship rounds, it felt like Marina Mokhnatkina had proved a lot of doubters long, simply by surviving the first fifteen minutes. And just over a minute in, she landed a throw takedown— only to find herself in a Pacheco triangle. Mokhnatkina hauled Pacheco up, dangling her off the mat for a few seconds; eventually Pacheco would release the hold, and Mokhnatkina wound up hunting for a kneebar as they continued the grappling battle.

After a moment, Pacheco pulled free, and moved back to her feet with Mokhnatkina following. Pacheco was able to land her right hand again, and when Mokhnatkina got the fight down, Larissa sprawled, scrambled, and quickly got back up.

With the final round arriving, there was a strong likelihood that Mokhnatkina needed a finish. She grabbed a leg early, only for Pacheco to push her off. A bit later, a Pacheco high kick partially landed, but Mokhnatkina ate it, caught the leg, and got the fight down! That saw her working from guard, in a dominant position on top and in guard, but with time falling off the clock. Mokhnatkina got in a bit of ground n’ pound, but not nearly enough to threaten a finish. Instead, it was Larissa Pacheco riding out the clock en route to a second championship, in a second weight class — securing her name in the history books of the sport.

Official Result: Larissa Pacheco def. Marina Mokhnatkina by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

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