The Professional Fighters League is back for its second week in a row.
This time around, the PFL features a couple of pairs of women’s lightweights on its main card including the face of the promotion: Kayla Harrison.
Harrison (13-0 MMA, 13-0 PFL) is looking to keep her unbeaten streak alive against Kaitlin Young (12-12 MMA, 1-2 PFL) in Friday’s main event on ESPN Plus.
Also on the main card, Larissa Pacheco (16-4 MMA, 5-2 PFL) takes on Genah Fabian (5-2 MMA, 4-2 PFL).
Harrison vs Young
Harrison is back again and is in the midst of pursuing her third PFL Lightweight Championship and $1 million check.
Originally, Harrison was supposed to face MMA veteran Julia Budd (16-4 MMA, 1-1 PFL). Budd recently joined the PFL roster after stints with Strikeforce, Invicta, and Bellator. Due to injury, Budd had to back out of the bout.
So now, Harrison will face Young, whose most recent loss came from Budd back in October. Harrison is coming off a decision win against Marina Mokhnatkina in May and is looking to secure her spot once again in the PFL playoffs.
Many were looking forward to the Budd matchup as she may have proven to be Harrison’s toughest test yet in a league where Harrison has typically mowed over her opponents. She has five finishes in her last six bouts over Taylor Guardado, Cindy Dandois, Mariana Morais, Courtney King, and Fabian.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist is of course a judo expert who is strong on her feet and on the ground. Harrison has recorded five knockouts and five submissions in her MMA career, which only began back in June 2018.
The odds are heavily in her favor this week. All of the sportsbooks have Harrison as at least a -1200 favorite with some sportsbooks saying -10000. Young is currently on a two-fight losing streak and a loss to Harrison would put her record at 12-13. She previously fought for Invicta and Rizin.
Young has notable wins over Dandois, Meisha Tate, Latoya Walker, and Reina Miura.
Kayla Harrison | Kaitlin Young |
|
---|---|---|
31 | Age | 36 |
5'8'' | Height | 5'9'' |
155 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
66 inches inches | Reach | 69 inches |
Marina Mokhnatkina: W (Dec.) | Last 5 | Julia Budd: L (Dec.) |
Taylor Guardado: W (Sub) | Mariana Morais: L (Dec.) | |
Genah Fabian: W (TKO) | Cindy Dandois: W (Dec.) | |
Cindy Dandois: W (Sub | Latoya Walker: W (Dec.) | |
Mariana Morais: W (TKO) | Pam Sorenson: L (Dec.) |
Pacheco vs Fabian
Many MMA fans will probably be more excited to watch a much more intriguing matchup in Pacheco vs Fabian. The two women are great strikers and are more evenly matched than Harrison and Young.
Pacheco has proven to be an impressive force to be reckoned with since joining the PFL in 2019. Four of her five wins have been first-round finishes, including her three most recent bouts. Her only two losses in the PFL have come from Harrison decisions.
Fabian is an accomplished kickboxer with a 7-2 record so she is entirely comfortable with swinging on the feet with Pacheco. Her most recent bout was a win over Budd in May. Prior to that, she lost by TKO to Harrison.
Pacheco is the favorite in most sportsbooks and she has the ability to finish this fight early if she catches Fabian with her brutal power, but don’t be surprised if this fight goes long. Both women are looking to make a statement and get another shot at Harrison in the future.
Genah Fabian | Larissa Pacheco |
|
---|---|---|
31 | Age | 27 |
6'0' | Height | 5'6'' |
155 lbs | Weight | 155 lbs |
74 inches inches | Reach | 69 inches |
Julia Budd: W (Dec.) | Last 5 | Zamzagul Fayzallanova: W (TKO) |
Kayla Harrison: L (TKO) | Olena Kolesnyk: W (KO) | |
Julija Pajic: W (TKO) | Julija Pajic: W (TKO) | |
Laura Sanchez: W (Dec.) | Kayla Harrison: L (Dec.) | |
Moriel Charneski (TKO: W) | Sarah Kaufmann: W (Dec.) |