Cris Cyborg is not holding back for PFL title fight with Larissa Pacheco – Daily Breeze

Nine months ago, as rumors swirled about a highly anticipated women’s MMA match between the legendary Cris Cyborg and PFL two-division champion Larissa Pacheco, one comment caught the attention of Cyborg’s team.

“She is a very good striker. I think I’m a more complete fighter,” Pacheco told Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie.

That idea set in motion a blueprint for how Cyborg would approach their epic showdown, which culminated in Saturday’s co-main event at PFL: Battle of the Giants in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Many are eager to see two of the most devastating strikers in the sport go head-to-head, but when Pacheco threw down the gauntlet that Cyborg wasn’t an equally versatile fighter, Ray Elbe, Cyborg’s fiancée and coach, put together an undeniable team. great camp.

“From a confidence standpoint, you know, if I bring in the No. 1 jiu-jitsu woman in the world,” Elbe said in a recent interview at Cyborg’s private gym in Huntington Beach. “I’m bringing in one of the most talented American female wrestlers in the exact same weight class, a three-time Pan American wrestling champion. I’m bringing in an 18-time world boxing champion, the only one to ever win MMA and boxing belts.

“And you get to work on it every day with these girls.”

Cyborg’s resume speaks for itself. She is the only female fighter to have won four major titles – Strikeforce, Invicta FC, UFC and Bellator – and can add to that collection with the newly created Women’s Featherweight Super Fights World Championship up for grabs.

Along the way, the 39-year-old Cyborg (27-2, 1 NC) has become known as one of the most fearsome and powerful punchers in women’s MMA. She has knocked out 22 of her opponents, an 81% clip.

Still, while many fans are eager to see her and the 30-year-old Pacheco (23-4) go head-to-head, the current Bellator 145-pound champion has a calmer approach, which she has shown in more recent fights, and a more versatile offense are critical.

“I have to use all the resources I have and not force anything. Be patient,” says Cyborg, who has also won all four of her boxing matches in the past two years. “I think patience is the key in this fight.”

And although the Huntington Beach native, by way of Curitiba, Brazil, has two black belts – one in Muay Thai under master Rafael Cordeiro and the other in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles – the decision was made to diversify her camp at the best way it’s ever been.

In came Rafaela Guedes, a month removed from winning gold in the prestigious Abu Dhabi Combat Club Championship, considered the best submission wrestling tournament in the world, in the +65 kg (over 143 pounds) category.

Enter Forrest Molinari, long one of the best American freestyle wrestlers in the world who scored two victories in April – against 20-year-old phenom Amit Elor – while competing in the Paris Olympics.

Both women recently decided to transition to MMA. What better way to break in than training with “the OG of women’s MMA,” as Molinari says?

“As someone who just came over four months ago, it’s just unheard of to get this opportunity,” said Molinari, 29, who trains in Arizona. “And Cris is so down to earth and so cool in person. And it’s like, even though this is clearly her training camp and she’s on her way to her fifth historic title, she’s taking the time to show me things along the way so I can learn something.

Although Cyborg has a lot of time on the mats, Guedes realizes how much she has improved in their short time training together, and how strong she is.

“She’s real, you know?” said Guedes, a 32-year-old Brazilian living in San Diego. “So if you go there, don’t play because she’ll beat the shit out of you.”

Last but not least, a former UFC champion returns the favor as a training partner. Earlier this year, Cyborg traveled to New Mexico to help Holly Holm prepare for her fight with Kayla Harrison.

Now it’s the former 18-time boxing champion’s turn to assist her former opponent – ​​Cyborg defeated Holm via unanimous decision at UFC 219 in late 2017.

“Pacheco is tough, but honestly at this point anyone you’re going to fight is going to be at that high level,” Holm said. “You know, they’ll be the best, but I just don’t think she has as many tools as Cris.”

The foursome kicked around names for their group – The Dream Team? The team? – during a recent session, less than three weeks before Cyborg’s fight. Each of the training partners demonstrated an exercise or technique, followed by the other three, step by step. Scrambles and leg locks. Belly-to-back throws. Slipping punches and throwing combinations.

Sweat flowed and there were many smiles.

“It’s fun because you see that everyone is very good at their own sport, and you can change and learn. And now I learn a lot from Rafa and Holly, and a lot from Forrest,” Cyborg said. “So it’s nice to have all the girls there too, because we used a lot of boys. And now in your system they are very knowledgeable in their sport, and then we get it together and they help me learn.

Cyborg has won her last seven fights – one via submission, two unanimous decisions and four knockouts, including her first-round TKO victory over Cat Zingano a year ago at Bellator 300 in San Diego.

Pacheco, meanwhile, has won 10 straight with three unanimous decisions and seven knockouts. She even turned the tables on Harrison, who had defeated her twice via unanimous decision, and outpointed her to win the PFL Women’s Lightweight Tournament in November 2022. She followed that up last year by winning the PFL Women’s Featherweight Tournament.

“I think she’s a great opponent. She is a very dangerous fighter. You know, she’s done with her fighting. You have a powerful puncher too,” Cyborg said. “But on the other hand, I don’t think she ever fights someone like me.”