Former two-division PFL champion Larissa Pacheco is growing increasingly frustrated with her search for a new MMA home, claiming that major promotions have repeatedly turned her down despite her impressive resume.
The Brazilian fighter has been a free agent since parting ways with the Professional Fighters League in 2025. A year into her search for another contract, Pacheco says attempts to secure opportunities with the UFC and other international promotions have failed to produce the result she wants which is a chance to compete in mixed martial arts again.
“It’s the biggest promotion in the world, so it kind of sets the rules for the market,” Pacheco told MMA Fighting. “All the other fighters end up taking fights to perform well, win a belt, and get into the UFC. If they sign me, I’ll hold up an entire division, holding up the progress of 10 or 15 girls who would otherwise make it into the promotion. We’ve already tried KSW and Oktagon in Europe. We’ve tried everywhere, and that’s what keeps happening. It’s another source of frustration because I want to be working. I’m a high-level athlete.”
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Pacheco described the situation as deeply discouraging, saying she believes the market has effectively shut her out. “It’s been really difficult,” Pacheco said. “Karate Combat is a promotion that’s giving me an opportunity and generating some hype, but it’s not my sport. It’s not an MMA event. That win proves that I can make weight, but it doesn’t put me where I need to be, where I deserve to be. The market has kind of closed its doors on me, you know?
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I know I’m a high-level athlete and that I have what it takes to compete in the UFC or any other major promotion, but because of… Actually, it’s something several promoters have already said: ‘There’s no athlete at Larissa’s level. We’re not going to be able to find an opponent. The athletes we can get will demand an outrageous amount of money to fight Larissa. And if she wins the belt, which is probably what’s going to happen, she’ll hold up the division for the girls who are close to getting into the UFC.’
“ It’s kind of frustrating, you know? It’s sad, actually. It makes me really sad because I wanted to keep working. I’m still very young, and I have a long career ahead of me. We’ve already looked for opportunities in promotions all over the world, literally everywhere, and it’s always the same answer. Even Karate Combat has a hard time finding an opponent who’s willing to fight me.”
Pacheco established herself as one of the PFL’s leading female fighters, winning tournament championships at lightweight and featherweight.
One of the defining moments of her career came in 2022, when she defeated Harrison by unanimous decision in their third meeting to claim the PFL lightweight championship. Harrison had won their first two encounters, making Pacheco’s victory a significant turning point in their rivalry.
Pacheco later captured the 2023 PFL featherweight season title by defeating Marina Mokhnatkina via decision, extending her winning streak to 10 fights.
“The bad thing about this is that it kind of makes me fade into the background,” Pacheco said of her forced layoff. “People forget very quickly. People who follow the sport know me, remember me, and know what I’ve done. But new fans, the audience that’s constantly changing, end up forgetting about me.”
The women’s bantamweight division is the shallowest in the UFC today with less than 30 athletes under contract, and some wonder if major stars Harrison and Amanda Nunes will remain active after they face off for the title on Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden. Pacheco defends that the 135-pound roster would benefit from her addition.
“A lot of big names, including fighters, reporters, sponsors, and promotion officials, have been complaining about women’s MMA,” Pacheco said, but I look at that and think, man, that doesn’t apply to me. It doesn’t apply to me because I’ve always gone out there and delivered exciting fights.”
“I have very few fights that have gone to a decision, and every single one of those fights was a war. But all we hear is people complaining that women’s fights are boring. It’s hard to defend the division, but the people in charge of running the promotions are the ones who actually make the matchups.”
“I don’t know what else to do anymore,” she continued. “What, do I need to fight a man for that? That’s ridiculous, because I train with men every day. It’s absurd. I don’t know what else I can do to get another opportunity to fight in a major promotion.”
It’s not even about money because I’m simply looking for a fight. I’ve already accepted extremely low purses just to be able to compete, but there really aren’t any opponents available — and the people being approached are asking for an outrageous amount of money to fight me. I’m willing to fight. I need some direction because I want to keep fighting.
“I’m not asking for a title fight. I’m not asking to get into the UFC and fight Amanda or Kayla. I’m not asking for that. I’m asking for the opportunity to show what I can still do in this sport, you know? To show what I can bring, to give it everything I’ve got. To pursue the best fight, the best knockout, the best submission, and deliver the kind of war I’ve always delivered.”
Her immediate goal is not to reclaim a title but to get back into the cage and remind the MMA world what she can offer. With two PFL tournament championships and a victory over Harrison on her résumé, she believes she has already demonstrated her ability to compete at an elite level.
Whether the UFC or another major promotion eventually gives her that opportunity remains uncertain.
