Larissa Pacheco (19-4) is the reigning PFL Women’s Featherweight who starts her title defense with a fight against the former Bellator champion, Julia Budd (16-5). Oddsmakers think Pacheco will win, but Budd is hungry for success after losing two fights in a row. Maybe it’s time for her to quench her hunger.
Larissa Pacheco vs. Julia Budd Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Larissa Pacheco | +550 |
| Julia Budd | -750 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
- Time: ~10:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN 2 / ESPN+
Larissa Pacheco Looking for her 7th Straight Win
Of all the fighters taking the stage in PFL Week 2, Larissa Pacheco is the biggest favorite, priced at -750. What this means is that those who back her would win $100 on a $750 bet. So, is it worth risking so much? Well, we do think she’s favored for a reason – Pacheco is the fighter who won last year’s PFL Women’s Featherweight tournament.
She did it by defeating legendary Kayla Harrison even though she was a +450 underdog before the fight. The fight lasted for full five rounds with Pacheco eventually winning by decision. She showed in that match that she’s a great wrestler/grappler who can deal with the Olympic gold medalist in judo.
Before demonstrating her fantastic wrestling/grappling skills, we saw her demolish a couple of fine strikers. She defeated Julija Pajic, Olena Kolesnyk (twice), Genah Fabian, and Zamzagul Fayzallanova, each by KO/TKO.
Julia Budd Hoping to End Her Losing Streak
Julia Budd is a former Bellator champ, who used to hold the Women’s Featherweight World Championship from 2017 to 2020. In 2021, she inked a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), winning against Kaitlin Young by a decision on her promotional debut. However, she then went on to lose the following two fights – to Genah Fabian and Aspen Ladd.
It sounds bad, but there’s a caveat. She lost to Fabian by unanimous decision in a fight in which Fabian was 4.8 pounds over the limit. In the fight against Ladd, Budd lost by a split decision after a real battle in the cage that lasted for 15 minutes.
Larissa Pacheco vs. Julia Budd Prediction
Larissa Pacheco is a -750 favorite for a reason – she’s very, very likely to win the fight on Friday. However, we don’t think it’s going to be too easy for her. Budd is a very tough fighter who lost only three fights by stoppage. The last time it happened was against Cris Cyborg in the Bellator title fight.
However, it’s been a while since she fought for 25 minutes the last time. Considering that she’s turning 40 in a few months, we suspect her cardio might not be good enough to stay in the ring for full five rounds.
That said, our PFL 2 prediction is that Pacheco is going to win by a finish, but very late in the bout. We should see at least three rounds on Friday.
Pick: Larissa Pacheco to win inside the distance; over 2.5 rounds