NEW YORK (Reuters) – Brazilian Larissa Pacheco pulled off a shock decision victory over Kayla Harrison after an epic five-round battle to claim the women’s Professional Fighters League (PFL) lightweight title at Madison Square Garden on Friday.
Pacheco, who had lost to two-time Olympic judo champion Harrison twice previously, handed her American opponent the first defeat of her professional MMA career as she picked up the million-dollar prize for winning the 2022 PFL championship.
As the PFL season climaxed with a card full of championship deciders, British fighter Brendan Loughnane claimed the men’s featherweight crown with a fourth-round TKO win over Bubba Jenkins, and Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier knocked out Stevie Ray with one punch to win the lightweight belt.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Kim Coghill)
