Larissa Pacheco has built one of the most impressive resumes in women’s MMA, but that still has not been enough to earn her another shot in the UFC.
Pacheco first fought in the UFC back in 2014 when she was just 19 years old. Even then, her only losses came against future champions Jessica Andrade and Germaine de Randamie.
After leaving the promotion, Pacheco joined the PFL and initially struggled, including two losses to current UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison. But the Brazilian powerhouse completely turned her career around afterwards.
Pacheco went on a 10-fight winning streak and eventually earned revenge over Harrison with a five-round victory. Along the way, she established herself as one of the most dangerous finishers in women’s MMA, boasting an 82 percent finishing rate.
Her most recent MMA appearance came against Cris Cyborg in a brutal five-round battle that ended her PFL run. Since becoming a free agent, Pacheco has openly campaigned for a UFC return, even dropping back down to 135 pounds to prove she could compete in the bantamweight division.
Last weekend, Pacheco competed in Karate Combat and made another statement by scoring a violent tomahawk elbow knockout over Julia Stasiuk in Miami.
Despite all of that, Pacheco revealed the UFC still has no interest in signing her.
“Sam got in touch with Mick, sent him an email, pitched everything he could,” Pacheco said. “But the response was, ‘I’m not interested but thank you.’ And that was it.”
According to Pacheco, the response came directly from UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard after her team reached out about signing her at 135 pounds.
The rejection clearly left the former PFL champion frustrated, especially considering everything she believes she has accomplished since her first UFC stint more than a decade ago.
“I don’t know what else I have to prove or explain,” Pacheco said. “I’ve already campaigned to get in, I’ve already shown my value. Since I left, which was 11 years ago, I’ve shown my evolution as an athlete. I beat their champion. I knocked out Irene [Aldana] and submitted Karol Rosa, who are girls ranked in their division. I don’t know what else I have to do for them to sign me. That answer was very clear to me.”
Pacheco also admitted she has struggled to understand why the UFC continues to pass on her despite her resume and experience.
“I don’t know what’s missing, what the problem is,” Pacheco said. “I’d like to understand it better. Like, ‘Larissa, we don’t like you, you don’t sell.’ I don’t know. But I don’t think that’s it. I don’t know if they’re trying to protect Kayla. I don’t know if it’s about that. But I’d really like to have an answer about it.
“I don’t know if it’s because of my appearance. I’ve heard from some comments that it could be because they’d be replacing a champion, or they might end up with a champion who looks more masculine than their current champion, who is a mother, blonde, and has blue eyes. I don’t know if that could be it, but I don’t think I have anything left to prove.”
Pacheco’s manager, Sam Lee, also defended her case for a UFC return, pointing to her victories over top-level competition and her growth as a fighter since leaving the promotion at 19 years old.
“Larissa’s exclusion doesn’t make sense to anyone,” Lee said. “Her work ethic and record speak for themselves. She holds a win over the current UFC champion, has knocked out Irene and submitted Karol, and has never turned down a fight or handpicked an opponent.
“She is a completely different athlete from her first UFC stint. At just 19, she was still physically developing and lacked the right structure around her. Even then, her only losses came against future UFC champions.”
Lee also believes the UFC bantamweight division could benefit from someone with Pacheco’s finishing ability and aggressive style.
“The division is in need of a true knockout artist, something that hasn’t been present since Amanda stepped away,” Lee added. “Larissa would be a major asset to the UFC’s bantamweight division. If anyone deserves a second chance, it’s Larissa Pacheco.”
