Jena Bishop Stuns Liz Carmouche to Win PFL Flyweight Title

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Jena Bishop scored a unanimous decision over Liz Carmouche on Friday night at PFL Chicago to capture the vacant PFL women's flyweight championship, avenging a knockout loss to Carmouche from last year.

The fight at WinTrust Arena opened about as badly as possible for Bishop. Carmouche came out firing and nearly finished the fight in the first round, hurting Bishop and hunting for a stoppage. Bishop survived, and the fight flipped hard from there. By the second round the 42-year-old Carmouche appeared to fade, and Bishop took over, taking her back and hunting chokes through the third round. Carmouche found a second wind in the fourth, sprawling into top position and landing enough to make things interesting again, but it wasn't enough to sway the judges. Bishop got the nod and the belt.

How Bishop Turned the Rematch Around

Bishop walked into PFL Chicago as the clear underdog against a veteran who had already finished her once. That history, combined with Carmouche's blistering start, made the opening minutes look like a repeat script. Instead, Bishop's conditioning and grappling in the middle rounds decided the fight. She survived the worst Carmouche had to offer early, then systematically wore her down with top control and submission pressure once the pace slowed. A late push from Carmouche in round four was the kind of thing that can flip a scorecard, but Bishop had banked enough in rounds two and three to hold on.

Dakota Ditcheva Calls for the Next Shot

Dakota Ditcheva wants the winner next, publicly pushing for a title shot in February or March. Ditcheva enters that conversation as a former PFL flyweight champion with an unbeaten professional record, and her long wait for a crack at the belt has been one of the more talked-about storylines in the division. With the title now in Bishop's hands, Ditcheva's case for a title shot against the new champion is as strong as it's been in years.

Betting Angle

Friday's result is a reminder of why "Bishop was finished by this opponent before" isn't the same thing as "Bishop can't beat this opponent." Bookmakers and bettors leaned heavily on the first fight's finish when pricing the rematch, and live underdogs who survive an early onslaught like Bishop did often get overlooked once the fight settles into deeper rounds. If Ditcheva does get the next shot, expect the market to treat her unbeaten run as the headline number, but Bishop's ability to absorb damage and still win the championship rounds is exactly the kind of form line sharp bettors will want to dig into before that line gets set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the PFL women's flyweight title at PFL Chicago?

Jena Bishop won the vacant PFL women's flyweight championship by unanimous decision over Liz Carmouche at PFL Chicago.

Did Jena Bishop avenge a previous loss to Liz Carmouche?

Yes, Jena Bishop had previously been knocked out by Liz Carmouche and avenged that loss by outpointing her in their rematch for the vacant PFL flyweight title.