Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco: Odds, full fight preview and prediction

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Women’s Featherweight finishers, Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco, will go to war this weekend (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) at PFL: Battle of the Giants inside Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

What is the legacy of Cris Cyborg? If you can look beyond that pesky 2011 drug test failure, the Brazilian’s dominance is undeniable. Nobody else can claim Bellator, Strikeforce, and UFC champion status, and Cyborg is looking to add one last high-profile title to her resume before walking away from the sport.

Conversely, Pacheco is no stranger to playing spoiler. Like Cyborg, she’s accustomed to overwhelming her opposition with power and physicality, and Pacheco proved in her trilogy match up versus Kayla Harrison that she can dig deep in the championship rounds.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Cyborg vs. Pacheco Betting Odds

Cris Cyborg victory: +114
Cris Cyborg via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Cris Cyborg via submission: TBD
Cris Cyborg via decision: TBD
Larissa Pacheco victory: -136
Larissa Pacheco via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
Larissa Pacheco via submission: TBD
Larissa Pacheco via decision: TBD
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg during an open workout at her Huntington Beach gym...

How Cyborg Wins

Cyborg is more than just brute force. The jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai black belt has really improved her hands over the years, as evidenced by her transition into the professional boxing ring. All the same, it’s definitely her power that has created so many victories and finishes.

In this match, Cyborg has to stay technical. Pacheco can absolutely crack herself and is nearly a decade younger — Cyborg doesn’t want to make a mistake and replay the Amanda Nunes fight by trying to immediately trade with an aggressive young finisher.

Experience can win the day here. Between the two, Cyborg has the much more developed jab and that should help her control distance. She also has the more varied kicking game, which sounds like a recipe for success at range. She doesn’t have to run away from exchanges — that would likely lead to getting caught on the end of a 1-2, because Pacheco is used to opponents trying to avoid her — but Cyborg can really build a lead by staying active at the edge of her distance.

How Pacheco Wins

Pacheco is a bruiser. There’s nothing complicated about how Pacheco approaches MMA, but she is undeniably good at putting her fist through jawlines, and that’s the real bottom line! As an additional fun fact, Pacheco has never lost to a non-champion: she’s only been beaten by Kayla Harrison, Germaine de Randamie, and Jessica Andrade.

I’d like to see Pacheco really try to bully Cyborg and take advantage of that aforementioned youth advantage. Since coming into her own, she’s proven to be an absolute tank. She can trade right hands with anyone, and it’s a simple fact that Cyborg doesn’t like to be put on the back foot.

In general, I’d like to see Pacheco really try to put the pressure on Cyborg. There’s risk involved of course, but again, Cyborg is almost 40 and rarely faces fighters who can threaten her. Pacheco can really tax that gas tank by putting together combinations or even wrestling a bit, and she’s more proven in grueling 25-minute fights.

Cyborg vs. Pacheco Prediction

Pacheco is at her best right now, and I don’t think we can say the same for Cyborg.

It’s always a bit awkward predicting a fight like this, because the majority of fights for both women are utter domination of fighters who cannot hurt them. That said, I rate Pacheco’s win over Kayla Harrison more highly than … any of Cyborg’s wins? I cannot remember a time I saw Cyborg overcome a physical and technical disadvantage, but Pacheco pulled it off! That kind of grit is rare for a knockout artist, and I expect it’ll make the difference here.

Cyborg is going to have to be perfect for a long time to avoid getting clipped by Pacheco, and she’s accustomed to having much larger margins.

Prediction: Pacheco via knockout

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