Cris Cyborg has once again done something that no one else has ever done before — capture a championship in a fifth major MMA promotion.
Cyborg managed to do this by defeating the first two-weight PFL champion, Larissa Pacheco, in the first PFL superfight championship bout as part of the PFL Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian now becomes the first fighter to win gold in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, Strikeforce, and Invicta — all at 145 pounds.
The MMA legend used her striking prowess to pressure Pacheco in the begininng of the fight, getting her against the fence before landing a takedown. Cyborg looked for a surprising Von Flue choke, and while her compatriot got back to her feet, she ate a solid head kick. The 39-year-old performed strongly and busted Pacheco open around her ear, though Cyborg wore damage around her eyes.
Both fighters came out strong in the second round, with Cyborg landing a series of strikes and a clean backfist. The veteran applied pressure as she got Pacheco back to the ground. Cyborg remained control in the second round, but Pacheco seemed to battle back in a quieter third round. There, the PFL star got the former UFC champ to the ground, dropping her with a right hand and attacking from the top. Cyborg defended well, but Pacheco looked to open her back up.
Cyborg went on to land strong combinations in the championship rounds, while Pacheco looked to land her own power shots. In the fourth frame, in fact, the reigning Bellator titleholder landed a power shot that appeared to get Pacheco to retreat.
The 39-year-old continued to land at will in the fifth round and ended up taking all three judges’ cards with 49-46 scores.
Cris Cyborg Wins 5th Major MMA Championship, Becomes First-Ever PFL Super Fight Champion
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Cyborg entered tonight having lost just twice in her professional MMA career, her pro debut in 2005 and her superfight against Amanda Nunes at the end of 2018.
The first to win gold in four major MMA promotions (Strikeforce, Invicta, UFC and Bellator), the Brazilian had not fought in MMA since her successful Bellator title defense against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 last year.
Meanwhile, this marked Pacheco’s first fight since winning the PFL women’s featherweight title in 2023, becoming the first fighter to win gold in more than one weight class inside the SmartCage. Pacheco won the PFL women’s lightweight title in 2022 in her trilogy fight with Kayla Harrison, becoming the sole loss in Harrison’s MMA career.
