PFL News & FeaturesLiz Carmouche Eager to Complete Unfinished Business in PFL Tournament
Continuing an excellent career run following her
UFC departure, former Bellator
MMA title holder Liz
Carmouche is back in the championship spotlight.
After picking up a unanimous decision victory over Elora Dana in the PFL World Tournament Semifinals, Carmouche is set to face Jena Bishop in the flyweight championship. The veteran believes the matchup is a perfect showcase for the PFL and the legacy she is trying to leave in the later stage of her career.
After getting the win in the co-main event at PFL Wichita,
Carmouche spoke to the media about taking down another young and
undefeated fighter, getting into a championship spotlight and the
significance of her matchup against Bishop.
“It means a lot, as I’ve said, when you can be the first one to put a loss on someone’s record. You put doubt in their mind, you start to silence everyone who was doubting you,” Carmouche said. “I feel going in and having a tough fight with her, I’m more prepared. Having a tough fight put me in the right headspace to prepare going into the tournament championship.”
The 41-year-old Carmouche will be facing Bishop, who is 39 years old, with a prime PFL opportunity at stake. Not only will the winner come out as the tournament champion and earn a cash prize of $500,000, but there is potential for a future fight against Dakota Ditcheva, who defeated Bishop back in 2024. Carmouche sees the important meaning for both women, who are looking to right the wrong from last year.
“I think that especially for both of us, coming off the losses last year, I think for both of us, this is like a bittersweet time,” Carmouche said. “We’re both feeling like we were so close to getting it [last year]. Now we’re both going to the finals, put on a good performance, and complete the path that we both paved to go.”
During fight week, Carmouche spoke about her desire to not only win the tournament championship in 2025, but to open more doors for women in the PFL in hopes of creating a women’s bantamweight division in the future. While she’s got her eyes on the task at hand against Bishop, Carmouche sees a big future for the organization if they’re willing to work with her.
“I really want to have those talks with PFL [about bantamweight],” Carmouche said. “I feel like I keep doing what they want, and fans were saying how much they enjoyed this fight. I’m doing everything the PFL asked of me and more, so if I’m doing my part, I feel like we can open the 135-pound division. There’s a lot of really talented women who are 135, 145, and can’t make it to 125, but we can put on some really exciting matchups at 135.”
After picking up a unanimous decision victory over Elora Dana in the PFL World Tournament Semifinals, Carmouche is set to face Jena Bishop in the flyweight championship. The veteran believes the matchup is a perfect showcase for the PFL and the legacy she is trying to leave in the later stage of her career.
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“It means a lot, as I’ve said, when you can be the first one to put a loss on someone’s record. You put doubt in their mind, you start to silence everyone who was doubting you,” Carmouche said. “I feel going in and having a tough fight with her, I’m more prepared. Having a tough fight put me in the right headspace to prepare going into the tournament championship.”
Fighters
only get one shot! Watch the Semifinals of the PFL World Tournament
LIVE Friday, June 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and
ESPN+
The 41-year-old Carmouche will be facing Bishop, who is 39 years old, with a prime PFL opportunity at stake. Not only will the winner come out as the tournament champion and earn a cash prize of $500,000, but there is potential for a future fight against Dakota Ditcheva, who defeated Bishop back in 2024. Carmouche sees the important meaning for both women, who are looking to right the wrong from last year.
“I think that especially for both of us, coming off the losses last year, I think for both of us, this is like a bittersweet time,” Carmouche said. “We’re both feeling like we were so close to getting it [last year]. Now we’re both going to the finals, put on a good performance, and complete the path that we both paved to go.”
Carmouche Hopeful PFL Adds Women’s Bantamweight Division
During fight week, Carmouche spoke about her desire to not only win the tournament championship in 2025, but to open more doors for women in the PFL in hopes of creating a women’s bantamweight division in the future. While she’s got her eyes on the task at hand against Bishop, Carmouche sees a big future for the organization if they’re willing to work with her.
“I really want to have those talks with PFL [about bantamweight],” Carmouche said. “I feel like I keep doing what they want, and fans were saying how much they enjoyed this fight. I’m doing everything the PFL asked of me and more, so if I’m doing my part, I feel like we can open the 135-pound division. There’s a lot of really talented women who are 135, 145, and can’t make it to 125, but we can put on some really exciting matchups at 135.”
Liz Carmouche ends her night with a bang!#PFLWorldTournament LIVE NOW
— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 21, 2025
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