PFL Super Fights: Cyborg Vs. Pacheco - Preview, Odds And Predictions
by Trent Reinsmith · ForbesThe PFL Battle of the Giants pay-per-view takes place on Saturday, October 19 from the Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the main event, former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou faces 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Renan Ferreira. Before that contest goes down, former Strikeforce, Invicta and UFC champion Cris Cyborg, who is the current Bellator women’s featherweight titleholder, faces two-time PFL tournament winner Larissa Pacheco in a featherweight scrap.
The PFL Super Fights world titles will be on the line for both the main event and co-main event on Saturday.
Cyborg vs. Pacheco
Cyborg (27-2-0-1) has not lost since she dropped the UFC featherweight title to Amanda Nunes in December 2018. The 39-year-old has won seven straight since then, with five of those bouts ending via stoppage. Cyborg last fought in October 2023 when she picked up a TKO over Cat Zingano in defense of her Bellator title. Twenty-two of Cyborg’s wins have been stoppages, giving her an 81 percent finish rate.
Pacheco (23-4) is unbeaten since she dropped a decision to highly-ranked UFC fighter Kayla Harrison in the finals of the 2019 PFL lightweight tournament. The 30-year-old is 10-0 since that setback with two PFL tournament titles. One of those tournament wins came in 2022 when she defeated Harrison. Pacheco has seven knockouts during her 10-fight winning streak. Nineteen of the 30-year-olds wins are stoppages. Pacheco has an 83 percent finish rate. Pacheco last fought in November 2023 when she beat Marina Mokhnatkina to win her second PFL tournament.
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Cris Cyborg on Larissa Pacheco
“First, I want to say thank you to all the people in Saudi Arabia. I feel very blessed to be here. I am ready. I am excited for this fight. It’s going to start my legacy tour. I have three fights left here, and I’m telling my fans to come watch the fights. I am going to complete two decades of fighting. I feel very blessed to be here for 20 years. I will fight for the belt, and it will be amazing.”
“Larissa and I have a lot of similarities in the beginning of our careers. Now I think I have proved a lot in my game. I have nothing to prove, just to improve. If you watch my last couple of fights, I did great. I have five rounds to finish this fight, whether standing or grappling. I am ready and excited to take this fight. I am not scared to take a punch. I like a violent fight. Everybody who knows me knows this.”
Larissa Pacheco on Cris Cyborg
“This is the fight I wanted. I’ve been preparing for this fight for a long time. I come from humble beginnings, and I am very really 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.”
“To become a legend, you need to beat a legend. 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.”
Cyborg vs. Pacheco Fight Breakdown
Cyborg has always been a feared striker, but where she was once a known as a fighter who charged forward and threw caution to the wind in the hope of overwhelming her opponent with power and aggressiveness, the now-veteran competitor takes a more measured approach. She is more selective in her attacks and uses her cardio wisely. However, when she feels a finish is near, Cyborg can give glimpses of the fighter she once was earlier in her career as she swarms for a finish. Today's version of Cyborg remains a dangerous opponent, as her offense, defense and fight IQ are used in equal measure.
Pacheco is a well-rounded fighter. She has rounded out her game since she went 0-2 in the UFC in 2014-15, losing to Jessica Andrade and Germaine de Randamie, who both went on to win UFC titles. Pacheco is an aggressive striker who walks her opponents down in the hope of forcing them to the fence, where she can use combinations to do damage. In the open, Pacheco has a strong jab, but her hooks to the body and head are where she can do some damage and rack up points. One mark against Pacheco is that she can sometimes throw her hooks with some recklessness, which could open her up for counters from Cyborg.
Cyborg vs. Pacheco Betting Odds
When the opening odds came out for this fight, it was a pick ‘em, with both women listed at -110. Today, Pacheco is a -155 betting favorite over Cyborg, who comes in at +115.
Cyborg vs. Pacheco Prediction and Pick
Time catches up with everyone in the fight game. At 39, Cyborg is coming off a long layoff. Pacheco seems to be in her prime at 30. The two-time PFL tournament winner has also been more active than her opponent over the past few years, fighting eight times since May 2022, while Cyborg has competed once over that span.
The pick for the PFL Super Fight title fight between Cyborg and Pacheco is Pacheco via decision.
Saturday’s PFL fight card takes place at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main card of the event airs on ESPN+ PPV at 4:00 p.m. ET following prelims on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET.