Preview: PFL Super Fights - Battle of the Giants ‘Brace for Impact’

Featherweights
Cris Cyborg (27-2) vs. Larissa Pacheco (23-4)

Few female fighters have reached the heights of Cris Cyborg, and for good reason. Cyborg’s legendary power has claimed her gold in the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce and Invicta FC, but at 39, does she still have what it takes to put fighters away early? The proof says yes. Cyborg is coming off a dominant first-round win over Cat Zingano but hasn’t fought in over a year. Since leaving the UFC in 2019, Cyborg hasn’t faced a featherweight that’s pushed her. She’s only gone the distance once in her last seven fights, and she’ll look to build on her stellar finishing rate in this fight. That said, this could be her toughest test since her loss to Amanda Nunes in 2018.

Pacheco has spent most of her career in the shadow of Kayla Harrison. Still, she showed unbelievable willpower and improvement when she finally bested Harrison in their trilogy fight back in 2022. Pacheco brings a 10-fight win streak into this fight and, unlike most of Cyborg’s opponents, has a resume that stacks up. Pacheco is also a heavy-handed puncher who can put you away in the first round, but her eight career submissions should not be overlooked. Pacheco hasn’t submitted an opponent in five years, however.

This could be the most violent and shortest fight of the main card. Cyborg and Pacheco aren’t going to back down, and the exchanges in this fight could be explosive. Cyborg’s the sharper, more technical puncher, but her age is a concern against the 30-year-old. If Pacheco comes out cautiously and picks her moments, we could see a weird type of fight where Cyborg is pushed out of her depth. While Cyborg is a legendary fighter, Pacheco is in the prime of her career and has the tools to pull off a historic upset and change the guard of the women’s featherweight division.

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The Prelims