Larissa Pacheco has made it clear where she wants to be after her departure from the Professional Fighters League.
The two-time PFL champion told MMA Fighting she was already in camp to rematch Julia Budd later this year when the company communicated to her they had changed plans and decided to let her walk free. According to Pacheco, her recent opponent Cris Cyborg is also partly to blame for it.
“They reached out to me about a month ago saying they were going to send me a date, possibly against Julia Budd,” Pacheco said. “So we waited, and waited, and then they said they were no longer interested in doing another fight, in keeping the division going, and that they were releasing me. The reason they gave me was that there were no other fighters left. It was just me, [Sara Collins] who’s fighting Cyborg now, who’s 6–0, and Cyborg. I was supposed to fight Julia one more time, Cyborg would fight that girl. She’d defend her title, and then I’d have the chance for my rematch afterward.”
“[PFL] said Cyborg told them that if her last fight was against me, she’d retire early, that she had no interest in fighting me again,” she continued. “So I said, alright. That’s what happened. They released me, even though I still had two fights left on my contract.”
Pacheco said she won’t “waste my energy” thinking about a possible lawsuit against PFL for allegedly owing her two bouts, but “we’re seeing what’s best to do and what path to take.”
As for Cyborg’s alleged decision to rather retire from the sport than face her a second time, Pacheco admits she’s surprised. They went the distance in October 2024 for the PFL Superfight belt, and Cyborg left with the title. The defeat snapped Pacheco’s 10-fight winning streak, a run that included victories over Budd and future UFC champion Kayla Harrison.
“I think that’s her choice,” Pacheco said of Cyborg’s decision. “But there are several Instagram accounts and pages tied to her that keep saying I’m crying on the internet, that I’m complaining. It’s not crying. I know I’m capable of beating her, you know? What I wanted was the chance to prove it. I took her to five rounds. I think it’s my right, and based on how that fight went. It was a great fight, she came out with the win, but I truly believe I could have a totally different outcome this time.
“It would be an amazing fight not just for me and her, since she’s nearing the end of her career, but for the fans too. What would be more meaningful, a rematch against me, or a fight against a 6–0 prospect? To look at a fight and say, ‘Oh well, Cyborg’s going to win,’ or to actually appreciate MMA for what it is and elevate women’s MMA? I believe a rematch with me would have much more value — not to take anything away from that girl.”
Pacheco admits she’s expected to see PFL end the division eventually, especially after closing the 155-pound class following Harrison’s departure to the UFC. Pacheco cut an extra 10 pounds to win another season in 2024, and has now been informed of no featherweight future at PFL.
A free agent now and training alongside Amanda Nunes in Florida, Pacheco feels “there’s no other place that makes sense for me” but the UFC. “The Lioness” is expected to return from retirement in 2026 to challenge Harrison for the bantamweight gold, and Pacheco would be returning to the UFC more than a decade after joining the promotion.
“I was 19 years old when I first got into the UFC,” Pacheco said. “I didn’t even have 10 percent of the resources I have now in terms of weight cutting, fight quality, everything. I was just a kid, and they threw me against two champions, Jessica [Andrade] and Germaine [de Randamie]. I was at the height of my innocence in the sport, just getting started. It’s been 12 years since my last UFC fight. Look what I’ve built since then.”
“I know I’ll probably need to take a few fights outside and clean up my record,” she continued. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to show them that I belong in the UFC. To show I can deliver results, make the division exciting, and put on great fights. I’m not embarrassed or afraid to take a few steps back if it helps me move forward and earn another shot in the UFC to show what I can really do.”
Pacheco said that having a history with Harrison, a 1-2 run in PFL and now training Nunes for their historic clash, could get her a shot in the UFC despite the fact she’s lost to Cyborg in her most recent match.
“I know it’s possible if they want to it,” Pacheco said. “We know it’s not unrealistic. After all, I have a win over Kayla, Karol Rosa, Irene Aldana, and they’re all top 10 fighters, including the current champion. But if I have to prove that I deserve to be there, that’s fine. I’m not even thinking about what advantages those wins might give me, I’m focused on what I need to do to get there. I’ll do everything I can to go back because I truly believe that’s where I belong.
“We’ve fought three times, I won the last one, and I think she’s not too eager to see me again. But now that I’m training with Amanda, who’s her next opponent, I really believe the UFC is where I should be. That’s where there are women my size, in my division. People say I can’t make weight, but they’re wrong.”
One of the hottest MMA free agents in MMA today, Pacheco sends a message to UFC CEO Dana White making her intent clear.
“Dana, I’m here, ready and willing,” Pacheco said. “I’m here to prove I have what it takes to be there, to deliver great results, to show a different Larissa. I was just a kid when I joined the UFC. I’m mature now, I’m structured, I can make weight and put on a show. I’m ready to fight outside events too if I have prove to you, Dana and Mick [Maynard], the ones running things, that I’m here. My partnership with Amanda only shows my strength as an athlete and how much I can contribute. I’m here. Just call me. I’m ready to step in, but if I have to prove myself, I’m ready for that too. … That’s my life goal right now. I’ve achieved a lot already — now it’s time to come back home, and hopefully soon, to fight for that UFC belt.”
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