Video: Kayla Harrison Fights Back Tears After First Decision Win
PFL’s most famous name was back in action when Kayla Harrison met Larissa Pacheco in the main event of tonight’s PFL Season Two Week One.
The bout went down from the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York. With UFC veteran Sarah Kaufman having scored a first-round submission, Harrison needed a quick finish to secure first place in the tournament. That didn’t happen, but Harrison did pick up a solid if not spectacular win over an experienced Pacheco.
Harrison showed some slightly improved striking and solid wrestling to smother Pacheco. Harrison saw also saw a brief moment of danger when Pacheco took her back:
That may have been the only time Harrison was in trouble throughout her four-fight pro career. She reversed position expertly soon thereafter. Harrison then used her peerless ground game to smother Pacheco and land a steady torrent of ground and pound.
It wasn’t flashy, but it got the job done. There was some controversy, however, when one cageside judge scored it 30-25 for Harrison. That included a 10-8 in the second round when Pacheco took Harrison’s back. Check out the scorecards for yourself:
It was also the first time Harrison had gone to the judges’ scorecards in her MMA career. Apparently, she wasn’t too happy about that. Harrison was shown fighting back tears while walking out of the cage (via ESPN MMA):
Despite the disappointment of going the distance, Harrison improved to 4-0. She’s in second place in the women’s lightweight tournament and will advance onto the next round.
There, she’ll have a chance to start a new stoppage streak.
