Carmouche Runs It Back With Bishop for Vacant PFL Flyweight Belt

The Dakota Ditcheva superfight everyone penciled in will have to sit on the shelf. Instead, the PFL is running back the 2025 women's flyweight tournament final: Liz Carmouche versus Jena Bishop for the vacant title on Oct. 16 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Carmouche, 26-8 in her career with 11 knockouts and seven submissions, already owns a win over Bishop — a third-round knockout in the tournament final. Now she gets to do it again, this time with a belt on the line, after the promotion's original plan fell apart.

Why the Ditcheva Fight Fell Through

Ditcheva looked like the obvious opponent after beating Denise Kielholtz by decision at PFL New York. PFL's John Martin told Ariel Helwani the promotion had been eyeing exactly that matchup if Ditcheva won — probably against Carmouche, though nothing was locked. The problem: Ditcheva fractured both hands in that decision win, ruling her out for the foreseeable future.

So the PFL pivoted to the fight it already had in the bank. It's not the marquee clash the division wanted, but it's a clean, credible one — two fighters coming off finishes, with a real grudge from their first meeting.

Both Riding Momentum

Carmouche hasn't slowed down since that tournament win. In June she wrapped up Viviane Araujo with a guillotine choke, adding to a submission game that accounts for a chunk of her finishes. Bishop, meanwhile, has been a wrecking ball on the mat herself — she submitted Borena Tsertsvadze in April and then tapped Ariane Lipski da Silva in June.

That makes the rematch a genuine question mark despite the first result. Carmouche got the KO last time, but Bishop's two-fight submission streak suggests she's found another gear. If the fight hits the canvas, the story could look very different in Chicago.

For Ditcheva, the wait continues. Whenever her hands heal, the winner here holds the title she was supposed to chase — which gives October's main event a stakes ceiling well above a standard rebooking.