This Friday (25), Kayla Harrison faces Larissa Pacheco for the third time in MMA, in a duel that puts the PFL lightweight belt (155 lb) at stake, in addition to the prize of 1 million dollars for the winner. But facing a Brazilian rival several times in combat sports is a reality with which the American is already accustomed. During the press conference for the show, held this Wednesday in New York (USA), which was attended by Ag Fightthe judoka recalled her extensive competition career with Mayra Aguiar in the Olympic modality.
Multiple champions, Kayla and Mayra have faced off against the judo elite on countless occasions. Among the most important confrontations between the two, there was balance. At the 2012 London Olympics, the American defeated the Brazilian in the semifinal and was proclaimed Olympic champion for the first time and would repeat the dose in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In 2014, in the World category, it was the turn of Mayra to take the best in the personal duel and proclaim herself champion of that edition of the tournament. The judoka from Rio Grande do Sul would also conquer the world on two other occasions, in 2017 and 2022.
All the rivalry built with Mayra helped raise Kayla’s level of competitiveness and elevate her to the rank of the great judokas in the history of this sport. Today, years after saying goodbye to the mats, the American manages to draw a parallel in her career, but this time with Larissa Pacheco in mixed martial arts.
“There is always a Brazilian woman to always bring out the best in me, right? (laughs). I fought Mayra I think about 16 times in my judo career. It is curious how you fight according to the level (of confrontation). If you’re fighting someone who doesn’t have the same skills as you, sometimes you don’t do as well as you can. But when you have a great opponent, he brings out the best in you. Mayra always did this to me in judo and I think Larissa does this to me in MMA too,” Kayla said.
Undefeated in professional MMA, with 15 victories -12 of them by knockout or submission-, Kayla preaches total respect for Larissa on the eve of their trilogy. In the two previous matches, the Brazilian survived the impetus of the judoka and was surpassed by the decision of the judges. Aware of the danger that lies ahead, the American guarantees that the third duel will be a war.
“She is a rival full of skills, she is a great fighter. She has more experience than me, she has been doing it since she was younger. She obviously hits better than me, and hits harder than me, she’s a black belt, she has excellent submission defense. She is the toughest person I have ever faced. I’m thankful for that, because she gives me a chance to dig deep and find a way to win again. It’s ‘Thanksgiving’, we have a lot to be thankful for. So I am grateful to Larissa Pacheco (laughs) ”, she highlighted.
The third clash between the lightweights headlines the PFL supercard this Friday, based at ‘Madison Square Garden’. In the same event, the Brazilian Matheus ‘Buffa’ meets the Croatian Ante Delija for the heavyweight ‘GP’ final, with the aim of avenging her most recent defeat, proclaiming herself champion of the category and, of course, take home the millionaire bag.
