The Professional Fighters League will return to Chicago this fall with championship gold on the line.
On Friday, Oct. 16, PFL Chicago will take over Wintrust Arena, where Liz Carmouche and Jena Bishop will meet for the second time. This time, the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Championship will be at stake.
The event comes on the heels of PFL’s merger with Most Valuable Promotions and marks another major event for the newly combined organization as it continues to expand its MMA and boxing presence.
Carmouche (26-8) enters the championship fight as one of the most accomplished veterans in women’s MMA. The former Bellator champion and PFL World Tournament champion has won 13 of her last 14 fights, including 10 victories by stoppage.
The 42-year-old has been competing professionally since 2010 and was part of one of the most significant moments in UFC history when she challenged Ronda Rousey in the promotion’s first women’s fight in 2013. Before beginning her MMA career, Carmouche served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps.
More than 16 years into her professional career, Carmouche will now attempt to add another championship to her résumé against a familiar opponent.
Carmouche and Bishop (11-3) previously met in the 2025 PFL World Tournament final. Carmouche handed Bishop a third-round TKO loss to claim the tournament championship.
Bishop has been perfect since.
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has responded to the Carmouche loss with back-to-back first-round submission victories, including a finish of previously unbeaten Borena Tsertsvadze. The victories put Bishop directly back into the championship picture and earned her another opportunity against Carmouche.
Bishop’s submission game has been her calling card throughout her MMA career. A former IBJJF No-Gi World Champion and ADCC World Championships competitor, she has recorded seven submissions among her 11 professional victories.
That grappling pedigree will once again be tested against Carmouche, who has proven difficult to solve throughout her lengthy career.
Their first meeting belonged to Carmouche. The rematch offers Bishop an opportunity to erase that result while making PFL history.
“Chicago has become an important market for PFL, and we’re excited to return with another championship event for our fans,” PFL CEO John Martin said in a press release. “The inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Championship is another milestone for our organization and a testament to the incredible talent competing across our roster.”
Martin added that Carmouche and Bishop have already established themselves among the division’s elite, setting the stage for the promotion to crown its first women’s flyweight world champion.
PFL Chicago takes place Friday, Oct. 16, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Presale tickets are available now, with the general public on-sale beginning Friday, Aug. 21, at 11 a.m. ET.
For Carmouche, the night represents another opportunity to add championship gold to an already decorated career. For Bishop, it is a chance at redemption.
Only one will leave Chicago as the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Champion.