Olena Kolesnyk: ‘I leave my balls on the wall’
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Olena Kolesnyk returns to the PFL Playoffs with $1 million and a championship within reach. But, standing in her way is a familiar and dangerous opponent in last year’s lightweight champion Larissa Pacheco, who holds two wins over her.
This version of Kolesnyk looks like the most complete yet. She’s riding momentum into the postseason after strong victories over Aspen Ladd and Yoko Higashi. Those two wins re-established her as a legitimate threat in the bracket and earning her spot back in the spotlight.
Ahead of the matchup, Kolesnyk opened up in an interview with John Shields for Fight Famous. She touched on everything from modern relationships to how she balances life as a fighter and a woman outside the cage.
Her comments sparked a deeper conversation about identity, perception, and dating in today’s world.
“Oh my god. Listen, first of all, my friend’s name is Jacob. I love him with all my heart and he was an American soldier, he’s amazing. Recently we watched the Barbie movie which I loved. Anyway, what I love in Jacob is that when he says he will be there he’s there. There aren’t too many men that keep their word unfortunately nowadays.”
“When you’re a fighter and a strong woman physically and mentally, it’s not easy to find the right partner for your life. They look at my job and what I do for a living and they think I’m the same dominant person in real life, and this is attractive to the men who are looking for a strong mother or women.”
Kolesnyk on Identity, Relationships & Life Outside the Cage
“For people who know me well, when I leave the gym I leave my balls on the wall and I become more feminine. I like to take care of my man and make him less stressed and more comfortable – I like to be a classy woman at home but for my job and for my fights I need to wear this mask.”
“Sometimes men take it the wrong way and think I’ll be the same in the relationship. But that’s not true; I am totally the opposite”.
She also reflected on how her outlook on love and timing has shifted over time, and whether her experiences in relationships have impacted her emotionally or changed how she views finding a partner.
“[My] mindset is that in the right time and right place you definitely will find the right person and the funny thing is there are a few magic words you need to say if you want to fall in love; I will never fall in love again ever.”
“As soon as you say that, it’s unexpected and not predicted and that’s when it happened to me. 3 years ago I told myself my heart is closed and I will not have any feelings and be numb. This year I speak out loud that I need the [PFL] belt and tell all my friends. But then you wake up one day that you feel more for one person than you’re supposed to feel and that’s when there’s an alarm. We will see what happens next but right now I feel really good.”
Now, Kolesnyk turns her focus fully back to competition, with the biggest stage yet in front of her.
Olena Kolesnyk faces Larissa Pacheco in the co-main event of the PFL Playoffs on August 18th inside Madison Square Garden.
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