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Marc RaimondiESPN
Kayla Harrison has a new opponent for the first PFL card of the season.
The former two-time Olympic judo champion will now fight UFC veteran Larissa Pacheco in the main event of PFL 1 on Thursday in Uniondale, N.Y., the promotion announced Monday.
Harrison’s previous opponent, Svetlana Khautova, had visa issues and was unable to get into the United States, PFL spokesperson Greg Savage told ESPN.
PFL 1 will air live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Harrison (3-0) won her first three MMA fights last year for PFL via stoppage. The Ohio native is one of the top prospects in all of mixed martial arts. Harrison, 28, is competing in the PFL’s 155-pound women’s division this season.
Pacheco (11-2) competed on the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter 28 reality show last year, falling in the first round to eventual champion Macy Chiasson. The 24-year-old Brazilian was also in the UFC in 2014 and 2015, fighting at 135 pounds.
Moriel Charneski has joined PFL’s 155-pound women’s season with Khautova unable to compete.