Larissa Pacheko Is A Punch Away From Turning Kayla Harrison’s Reign Into Dust

The sport of Judo has been represented in the combat world by non-other than the two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison. At this point, you cannot question her greatness. However, tonight might very well be the night she tastes defeat for the first time in her stellar career.

Let’s simply the fight: What style would it take to dethrone the two-time Olympian? Well, no Jui Jitsu practitioner could pull guard on Harrison and submit her, and you certainly can’t bring a decorated wrestler to dive into scrambles with Harrison because she’s simply too strong. So, what would it take, then? It’s simple; a girl with knockout power to stop her in her tracks. Larissa Pacheco is the hardest puncher in the division’s history. In fact, she’s the most familiar fighter on the roaster, to what Kayla feels like since she already fought her twice.

So, not only does Pacheko have the power to knock out or hurt Harrison, but most importantly, she doesn’t fear her.

We’ve seen this countless times: when an undefeated champion reigns supreme, his aura defeats his adversaries before even stepping into the cage or ring. However, this time, Kayla is fighting someone who already stuffed some of her takedowns, and most significantly, she landed at her at will in their first two fights.

I’ve always compared Harrison to Ben Askren; in their particular field, they’re unstoppable. However, in striking range, they’re amateurs when it comes to body mechanics and shot selection on the feet.

On the other hand, I compare Pacheko to non-other than Amanda Nunes. Both are devastating punchers from the favelas of Brazil. They both struggle with wrestlers sometimes, but if you give them enough chances to get you, they will.

All I’m saying is this: third time’s a charm for the Brazilian.