LAS VEGAS – World leader Kaique Pacheco was by himself in the locker room on Saturday night when he winced in pain.

Pacheco had tried to keep a smile on his face earlier in the evening as he sat in his chair with a big bag of ice on his left knee.

The pain, though, was beginning to set in.

The No. 1 bull rider in the world had just gotten done being evaluated by Doug Olle of the PBR Sports Medicine team after he injured his knee during his 7.9-second buckoff against Fly Over in Round 2 of the 2018 Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour Finals.

A few riders, including three-time World Champion Silvano Alves and 2018 Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour champion Alisson de Souza had come to check on Pacheco a few minutes earlier.

Everyone inside the South Point Hotel Casino & Spa went silent when Pacheco got tangled up with Fly Over.

Pacheco struggled to put any weight on his left leg while hobbling to safety.

He was then helped to a chair just outside the rider walkoff area and continued to grimace as his knee was analyzed.

Pacheco then made his way ever so slowly to the PBR sports medicine room under his own power.

According to Olle, Pacheco sprained his left knee and will have a follow-up with Dr. Tandy Freeman this week before the World Finals get underway on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Pacheco also had his leg placed into a brace on Saturday night to limit its mobility.

“The bull hit me on that knee with his nostril, and it twisted my knee,” Pacheco said with the help of Miriaham Garcia translating.

The injury could potentially be a game changer in the world title race.

Pacheco leads No. 2 Jose Vitor Leme, who bucked off both of his bulls on Saturday night away from his hand, by 1,535 points. One rider can earn a maximum of 3,300 points at the World Finals.

There are only 10 bull riders mathematically still alive in the championship race – Pacheco, Leme, No. 3 Claudio Montanha Jr., No. 4 Luciano de Castro, No. 5 Cody Teel, No. 6 Ramon de Lima, No. 7 Cooper Davis, No. 8 Cody Nance, No. 9 Eduardo Aparecido and No. 10 Fabiano Vieira.

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Pacheco brushed off any concern of him not being able to ride on Wednesday night.

“I’m going to ice it for now, but the people from Fit’N Wise (Rehabilitation and Performance Center in Decatur, Texas) are going to be here this week, treating us while they’re here. So I’m going to see them and get treated by them, and then continue with sports med as well.”

Pacheco added that his left knee had been bothering him some since he was victorious in Milwaukee on Oct. 6.

“It’s bothered me awhile back, but it kind of went away and got better; but now I feel it again,” he revealed.

Pacheco then smiled.

He shrugged.

He laughed.

Even if the 24-year-old was in some pain, Pacheco did not seemed deterred one bit mentally.

Pacheco explained his sprained knee was a consequence of him not holding onto his bull rope long enough and that this injury was just part of competing in the toughest sport in the world.

Some believed Pacheco had a chance at winning the round before coming down just before the 8-second mark.

The 2015 Rookie of the Year was making a fantastic bull ride into his hand.

Instead, Pacheco is injured. He has gone two straight weeks without earning any world points.

It is the first time since the beginning of the second half in August that Pacheco has gone two consecutive weekends without world points.

“No, I’m not frustrated, because this is what can happen,” Pacheco said of his injury. “You know that this can happen at any time. It’s part of life, part of riding. This can happen at any time at all during the year and your career.

“I just thank God that I’m healthy enough to ride next week.”

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko