Two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison didn’t get a rapid-fire victory this time, but she chalked up valuable cage time against an experienced opponent en route to a one-sided win Thursday night. Harrison dominated a late replacement in UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco in the main event of the PFL’s 2019 season opener at Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. “Judo Kayla” got off to a fine start in the women’s lightweight regular season in going the distance for the first time in her MMA career, as she earned a unanimous decision on scores of 30-25, 30-27 and 30-27. “She’s a game opponent, she has a lot of experience, and my hat’s off to her because she’s a tough lady,” Harrison said afterward. In the opening round, Harrison (4-0) immediately implemented her grappling skills, spending the bulk of the round in a dominant position. Pacheco was crafty enough to avoid submissions for much of the round, until the very end, when Harrison sunk in a rear-naked choke.
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PFL 2019, Week 1 results: Kayla Harrison earns dominant decision over Larissa Pacheco – MMA Junkie