Some experiences are once in a lifetime, but for Liz Carmouche, a championship fight is rarely a first. The pioneer of women's MMA steps into the PFL Smart Cage at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Friday, facing Jena Bishop for the vacant PFL women's flyweight belt. Carmouche has fought for gold many times before, including the PFL women's flyweight tournament title she won last year, the Bellator MMA flyweight title she held in 2022, and several UFC title shots.
The bout is also a rematch. Carmouche knocked out Bishop to win the PFL tournament in August 2025, and Bishop has since won two straight fights to earn a second chance. Carmouche (26-8) knows that rematches demand respect, since opponents often return sharper. "Every time I think I have the number of my opponent, the second time around they are a whole different opponent," she said.
Rematches are something of a specialty for her. Across a 16-year career and 34 fights, Carmouche has fought four women in rematches, going 4-1 with two wins over Juliana Velasquez and one each over De Anna Bennett and Kana Watanabe. Her only rematch loss came against Valentina Shevchenko in 2019. When Bishop is added, Carmouche will have more rematches with more opponents than any other active women's MMA fighter.
At 42 years old, Carmouche says she will keep fighting as long as she can, until her wife decides it is time to stop. She also sees new opportunities ahead after the PFL's merger with Most Valuable Promotions, which will rebrand as MVP MMA in January. She hopes the change brings more women's weight classes, saying, "Women don't embody just one or two body types."
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing