Jena Bishop Avenges KO Loss, Chokes Her Way to PFL Flyweight Gold

Jena Bishop walked into WinTrust Arena on Friday night as a heavy underdog against the woman who knocked her out last year. She walked out a world champion. Bishop edged Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision — 48-47 on all three cards — to capture the vacant PFL women's flyweight title in one of the gutsier comeback performances of the year.

This was a rematch Carmouche was supposed to win. The 42-year-old veteran had finished Bishop by knockout in 2024 and came in as the clear favorite. She even shaved her head to make championship weight. But the fight that unfolded over 25 minutes was a brutal endurance test that swung on cardio as much as skill.

How the Fight Swung

Carmouche came out exactly as advertised in round one — aggressive, hurting Bishop early and hunting the finish. Bishop survived the storm, and that may have been the whole fight right there. By the second, the signs of a hard weight cut were showing on Carmouche, who faded badly as Bishop started to find her range.

The third round looked like it might become a rout. Bishop took Carmouche's back, settled into mount and threatened with chokes while the veteran ran on fumes. Then the momentum flipped again. Bishop emptied her own tank in the fourth, letting Carmouche sprawl to top position and bank a round of damage.

That set up a fifth round with the belt genuinely up for grabs. Carmouche looked the fresher of the two to start — but she got reckless. Bishop timed a takedown, climbed to back control, and spent most of the round working a rear-naked choke. She briefly sank it in before Carmouche wriggled free, but the veteran could never shake her off. The judges saw it clearly.

What It Means

For Bishop, this is a first world title and the cleanest possible way to erase a loss — beating the exact opponent who stopped her, on the back foot, as the underdog. The grind-it-out blueprint she used here, surviving the early fire and winning the swimming contest, is one she'll need again soon.

Because the next challenge is already booked. Dakota Ditcheva stepped into the cage after the final bell for a staredown. Ditcheva also owns a win over Bishop — a TKO back in 2024 — and the pair will rematch for the flyweight title at some point in 2026. Bishop now holds the belt and the chance to settle another old score.

Around the Card

The undercard delivered plenty of fast finishes. Levan Khabalaev needed just 61 seconds to stop Brock Hamer with knees and punches, and Cobey Fehr was even quicker, tapping Rosario Romero with a rear-naked choke in 58 seconds. Gamid Khizriev and Eliezer Kubanza both closed the show inside the opening round, each by TKO.

In the night's split-decision nail-biter, Timur Khizriev edged Gabriel Braga 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Emiliano Sordi, Kevin Pease, Shannon Clark and Noah Hermosillo also picked up stoppage wins, while Oualy Tandia and Paulina Wisniewska took decisions on the lower half of the card.

The headline, though, belongs to Bishop. She lost the first fight by knockout, lost the betting line on the second, and still found a way to leave Chicago with gold around her waist. The Ditcheva rematch gives her one more chance to flip the script — and this time she'll do it as the champion.