Jena Bishop Survives Early Scare, Stuns Liz Carmouche to Win Historic PFL World Title
Nearly finished in the opening round, Bishop fought back to claim a unanimous decision—and become the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Champion.
For Jena Bishop, the road to championship gold ran straight through a fight she nearly lost in the opening minutes.
By the end of five rounds at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, she had turned that danger into the biggest victory of her career.
Bishop defeated Liz Carmouche at PFL Chicago on October 16, 2026, winning 48–47 on all three judges’ scorecards to capture the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Championship.
The victory also settled unfinished business: Carmouche had stopped Bishop in their previous meeting. This time, Bishop survived the veteran’s power, brought the fight into her grappling world, and delivered a decisive final round.
Carmouche Nearly Ends It Early
Carmouche wasted little time putting Bishop in trouble.
Heavy punches and a punishing ground attack threatened to make the rematch another painful night for Bishop. The opening round became a test of survival, with Carmouche pressing for a finish and Bishop fighting to stay in the contest.
Bishop reached the horn. That gave her the opportunity to change the fight.
Bishop Turns the Fight Around
In the second and third rounds, Bishop used her wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu to shift the action to the canvas.
Takedowns, positional control, and submission threats forced Carmouche to defend for extended stretches. Bishop began building the rounds she needed, making the former Bellator champion work through increasingly difficult ground exchanges.
The challenger who had spent the opening round under fire was now creating problems of her own.
But Carmouche still had a response.
A Fourth-Round Rally Sets Up the Finish
Carmouche fought back in the fourth, restoring the tension heading into the final five minutes.
Bishop had erased the feeling of an inevitable early defeat, but she had yet to secure the championship. After four demanding rounds, both fighters still had a path to victory.
The fifth would decide who left Chicago with the belt.
The Takedown That Helped Secure Gold
Bishop found the opening she needed.
A crucial takedown allowed her to take Carmouche’s back, establish control, and threaten a rear-naked choke. Carmouche defended the submission, but Bishop maintained the position through much of the closing stretch.
She did not need a finish to complete the comeback.
When the scorecards were announced, all three judges reached the same verdict: 48–47 for Jena Bishop.
Redemption—and a Place in PFL History
Winning a world championship is one achievement. Winning it against the opponent who previously stopped you adds another layer.
Bishop had to endure Carmouche’s strongest early attack, recover, and keep making decisions under pressure. Her ability to return to her grappling after the opening scare gave her a route back into the fight—and ultimately to the title.
As the inaugural champion, Bishop also becomes the first name in the history of the PFL Women’s Flyweight World Championship.
Chicago delivered a reminder of how quickly a fight can change. Carmouche came close to ending it early. Bishop stayed in it long enough to write a different ending.
What impressed you most: Bishop’s survival in the first round or her execution in the fifth? Join the conversation and share this story with an MMA fan.
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