‘To Become A Legend, You Must Defeat A Legend’
While Larissa Pacheco didn’t initially feel a fight against Cris Cyborg was her “dream fight,” she does admit a win over Bellator MMA’s women’s Featherweight champion this weekend (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) at the “Battle of the Giants” pay-per-view (PPV) event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, could launch her mixed martial arts (MMA) career into the stratosphere.
Pacheco — the current Professional Fighters League (PFL) women’s Featherweight champion — said as much during a recent press conference to promote her showdown against Cyborg for the Super Fight title.
“This is the fight I wanted,” she said. “I’ve been preparing for this fight for a long time. I come from humble beginnings, and I am very happy with this stage and this fight with Cyborg. Being a couple of days away from this fight, I am just very ready to be here and looking forward to it.”
Cyborg’s legendary status as perhaps the greatest female MMA fighter of all-time is pretty much set thanks to her record-breaking run through various promotions. That’s the reason Pacheco feels a win over her fellow Brazilian would send her stock soaring.
“To become a legend, you need to beat a legend,” she said. “What I have already accomplished, people already treat me differently. They already understand what I am in this sport. But, definitely, a victory over Cyborg will put me in a different state and different position in my career.”
Pacheco also won PFL’s women’s Lightweight tournament in 2022 with a big win over Kayla Harrison, and comes into the event with an impressive 12-4 record with her two PFL defeats coming at the hands of Harrison, who is now eyeing a title fight with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As for Cyborg, she’s riding a seven-fight win streak, which includes a record five straight title defenses of her Bellator 145-pound strap. A win over Pacheco further cements her legacy and gives her title No. 5 in as many promotions.
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