Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco meet Saturday in the co-main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Cyborg, the reigning Bellator women’s champion at 145 pounds, is competing for the first time in a year, when she defeated Cat Zingano by first-round TKO at Bellator 300. Cyborg, 39, is a former UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta FC champion. She enters on a seven-fight winning streak, which includes five consecutive defenses of her Bellator title. Cyborg hasn’t lost since a December 2018 first-round knockout against Amanda Nunes at UFC 232. … Pacheco, 30, is coming off back-to-back PFL championship seasons at lightweight and featherweight. She brings a 10-fight winning streak into the matchup with Cyborg, which includes her 2022 lightweight title win over Kayla Harrison.
2024 PFL Superfights PPV: Battle of the Giants at the Mayadeen Theater in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (Alvaro Martinez / PFL)
Both fighters have continued to find success since their stints with the UFC, particularly Pachecho – who was able to end her series with Kayla Harrison with a win.
Given that there is so much at stake for each woman’s legacies, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a more measured approach from both parties.
Cyborg, of course, most notably lost an important fight to Amanda Nunes due to getting over-aggressive, so don’t be shocked to see the former Strikeforce champion continue her subsequent trend of grappling-friendly approaches (especially when looking at Pacheco’s willingness to work from her back in previous fights).
Although Cyborg has also had success striking in recent professional boxing bouts, I’m not sure how eager she’ll be to exchange considering Pacheco’s counter-striking acumen. In fact, I believe that countering – akin to the main event – will be the major dynamic at play while this fight is on the feet.
For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly take the more experienced and tactically flexible fighter despite the age differential at hand.
Pacheco’s damaging style will be potent early, but the official pick is for Cyborg to win a competitive decision (with a strong potential for earning a stoppage down the stretch) by being the more effective grappler.
Despite the oddsmakers opening this as a pick’em fight, public money has pushed the younger fighter to favorite odds, listing Pacheco (-130) and Cyborg (+102) via FanDuel.
As the co-main event, Cyborg and Pacheco are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 6:15 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view in the U.S. and DAZN pay-per-view internationally.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.
