Larissa Pacheco will feel a different kind of pressure beginning at PFL 2 Friday night.
Pacheco takes on Julia Budd in the women’s featherweight regular season. The bout headlines the ESPN2 main card from The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
Last year, Pacheco finally got the best of Kayla Harrison, claiming the tournament title. The loss was the first for Harrison and the first by Pacheco over the Olympian in three tries.
Now, she must figure out how to be the one feeling the pressure. And Budd is surely going to apply pressure as a veteran of the sport who has faced the best of the best.
The 28-year-old ran through the 2022 regular season. Along with besting Harrison, she also topped Olena Kolesnyk, Genah Fabian and Zamzagul Fayzallanova.
Overall, Pacheco is on a six-fight win streak and is 9-2 over the last 11.
Budd made her PFL debut in 2021 after a run in Bellator that included winning the featherweight title. She is coming off a split decision loss to Aspen Ladd in November.
Along with Pacheco vs. Budd, Bruno Cappelozza meets Matheus Scheffel in a heavyweight battle, while two other heavyweight fights complete the main card.
