Jena Bishop Upsets Liz Carmouche to Claim Inaugural PFL Women's Flyweight Title

Jena Bishop is the inaugural PFL Women's Flyweight World Champion. The 40-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist completed a massive upset on Friday, October 16, 2026, in Chicago, dethroning veteran Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision to claim the vacant divisional title.[1][2][3]

The victory avenged the most devastating defeat of Bishop's mixed martial arts career. Bishop survived a disastrous opening frame to dictate the terms of the rematch, overcoming her knockout loss to Carmouche in their 2025 tournament final. All three judges scored the bout 48-47 in favor of the new champion.[2][4]

Bishop's path to the championship required weathering significant adversity early in the bout. Carmouche looked to pressure Bishop and take control of the action from the opening bell, landing the stronger strikes whenever the fighters clinched against the fence.[1]

The championship bout nearly ended exactly like their first encounter. Carmouche landed a heavy right hand that rocked the underdog late in the first round, swarming with ground-and-pound strikes that nearly forced a referee stoppage before time expired.[1][2]

Instead of folding under the pressure, Bishop turned to her elite grappling pedigree to change the fight's trajectory. She secured critical takedowns in the second round, bringing Carmouche to the mat and raining down punches to reverse the striking deficit.[1][2]

Once the fight hit the canvas, Bishop's positional control took over. She dominated the third round entirely, taking Carmouche's back and threatening with a rear-naked choke in the final minute. While Carmouche survived the submission attempts, she spent the bulk of the middle rounds defending.[1][2]

Carmouche found a brief second wind in the fourth round, managing to keep the fight standing and slowly working her way back into the contest. However, the former Bellator champion could not maintain that necessary distance in the decisive final frame.[1]

Bishop secured another takedown early in the fifth round and spent the remainder of the fight in top control. She chained together three different choke attempts before the final bell, leaving no doubt on the scorecards as she neutralized Carmouche's offense.[1][2]

The result stunned the betting markets and extended Bishop's recent run of success. The new champion has now won five of her last six bouts, including a crucial submission victory over Ariane Lipski in June that originally earned her the title shot.[1]

With the division's inaugural belt secured, Bishop's first title defense is already looming on the horizon. PFL broadcaster Dan Hardy announced during the post-fight interview that rising star Dakota Ditcheva is next in line for the flyweight crown.[1]

The exact timeline for that championship defense remains unconfirmed as the promotion prepares for its upcoming structural changes. Neither fighter provided immediate post-fight statements in the initial press releases, and the bout is not expected to take place until after the PFL officially rebrands its operations to MVP MMA later this year.[1]