Preview: 2022 PFL Championships

Stream Nov. 25's 2022 PFL World Championship exclusively on ESPN+. Purchase now at https://plus.espn.com/pfl/ppv.

There is more at stake than finding the best discount in this particular Black Friday.

The Professional Fighters League will make the move to pay-per-view for the first time in history with its fourth championship event, as athletes in six weight classes will vie for $1 million on Friday at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York. Some are quite familiar with the process. Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison, for example, will look to earn her third consecutive championship at 155 pounds when she squares off with knockout artist Larissa Pacheco in the headliner. Others, like welterweight finalist Sadibou Sy, have been with the organization for some time but will be making their first championship appearance. No matter where your interest lies, it sure beats fighting the crowds at your local retail outlet.

The seven-bout main card is available via ESPN+ pay-per-view on for $49.99 and streams at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, while the prelims will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT.

Now to the 2022 PFL Championships preview:

Women’s Lightweight Championship

Kayla Harrison (15-0, 14-0 PFL) vs. Larissa Pacheco (18-4, 7-2 PFL)

ODDS: Harrison (-650), Pacheco (+425)

Despite suffering a pair of lopsided decision losses to Harrison during the 2019 PFL campaign, Pacheco’s current streak of five consecutive first-round finishes has added a measure of intrigue to their trilogy. There has been plenty of talk in recent months about a potential cross-promotional showdown between Harrison and Bellator MMA featherweight queen Cristiane Justino. While it remains to be seen if that will come to fruition, Pacheco is currently the closest thing the PFL has to “Cyborg,” with her aggression and willingness to sling heavy leather in the pocket.

Harrison has yet to be seriously tested during her PFL tenure, and that remained the case during the 2022 regular season. Though the two-time Olympic gold medalist will occasionally produce a forgettable performance, as was the case in her decision win over Marina Mokhnatkina, it is only viewed as a disappointment because of the lofty standards she has set during her PFL reign.

Pacheco demonstrated admirable toughness in lasting eight total rounds over two meetings with Harrison, but she will need to bring a little bit more to the table to produce an upset this time around. While Pacheco has a strong submission game and good finishing instincts on the canvas, the proverbial puncher’s chance remains her best path to victory. The Brazilian is not known for her range-finding attacks on the feet, as she likes to force exchanges in the pocket, where she can connect with fight-altering left hooks and right hands. While most recent Pacheco opponents have been overwhelmed from the opening bell, Harrison can use her opponent’s aggression against her. The judoka can land a variety of trips and throws from the clinch; once on the canvas, she is adept using ground-and-pound to create openings for positional advancements and submissions. Her striking has improved since her debut, at least enough to use to set up takedowns, though it has not yet surfaced as a fight-ending tool. Perhaps that day will come, but it would be unwise for Harrison to engage Pacheco on the feet. The formula that brought her two previous victories against the two-time UFC veteran is enough to be successful again.

Dangerous as Pacheco may be, she can be predictable in her approach, and it has been a while since she has been forced to venture into the deep waters of a fight. A motivated Harrison gets the job done via submission inside the distance.

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Loughnane vs. Jenkins
Delija vs. Scheffel
Aubin-Mercier vs. Ray
Ladd vs. Budd
Sy vs. Taylor
Wilkinson vs. Akhmedov
The Prelims