Olena Kolesnyk is certain things are going to be different with Larissa Pacheco when they meet for a third time in Friday’s 2023 PFL Playoffs 2 co-main event.
Pacheco (21-4) is the only person to beat Kolesnyk (9-5) in the past two years, and she’s done it twice. The Brazilian won the initial encounter by first-round knockout at 2021 PFL 6, then repeated the feat with another first-round finish due to strikes in the rematch during the 2022 PFL Playoffs.
It’s been a difficult matchup for Kolesnyk, 32, but with four wins in her past five fights, she thinks she’s improved to the point where the outcome will be different. Moreover, she thinks this is the definitive matchup of this PFL women’s featherweight season, despite the fact the winner will have to go through another round before claiming the $1 million season prize.
“In the beginning I thought it would be great to fight her in the finals, but nobody said that you can pick who we fight,” Kolesnyk told MMA Junkie Radio. “I guess the semifinals will be better because it will be three rounds. Better now than later. We know, you know and PFL knows this is actually the finals fight, because the other girls are easy ones. This fight will be understanding who will be the champion this year.”
The 2023 PFL Playoffs 2 event takes place at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN+.
The way Kolesnyk explains it, she lost the first fight vs. Pacheco because of a “mistake” during a striking exchange. The said she offered Pacheco “too much respect” in the rematch, and that messed with her mentally.
Going into the third fight, however, Kolesnyk is focused and confident. The Ukrainian said she’s determined to win this PFL season, and derailing 2022 women’s lightweight champ Pacheco’s chance of becoming a two-division winner in back-to-back seasons would just be icing on the cake.
“God decided to send me Larissa again to do it again,” Kolesnyk said. “So, let’s fight again. I don’t care about who I fight. All I want to make happen is to be in the finals of PFL this year.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Playoffs 2.
