Jena Bishop is the first PFL Women's Flyweight World Champion. And she had to drag Liz Carmouche through five rounds to get there.
PFL Chicago had a new champion, an undefeated record that nearly slipped, and a prelim card that barely needed the judges. So let's get into it.
PFL Chicago by the numbers
Venue: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Friday, October 16, 2026
New champion: Jena Bishop, inaugural PFL Women's Flyweight (125 lbs) World Champion
Still perfect: Timur Khizriev, now 19-0
Finishes: 9 of 13 fights, including 8 of 9 on the prelims
Fastest finish: Cobey Fehr, rear-naked choke at 0:58 of Round 1
Bishop vs. Carmouche: The grappler gets the gold
Carmouche won the first round. No question.
The former Bellator champion and 2025 PFL World Tournament winner came out sharp, and for five minutes it looked like experience might carry the night. Then Bishop got her hands on her.
From the second round on, Bishop took it to the mat and kept it there. Round after round, top control, no space for Carmouche to work.
The third round was the closest anyone got to a finish. Bishop locked up a rear-naked choke that ends most fights. Carmouche, who is as tough as they come, fought her way out and made it to the final bell.
All three judges had it 48-47 for Bishop.
Chicago clearly suits her. She's now fought there twice this year and won both times, close enough to home to have her family in the building. She called fighting in the city "so great," and said this belt means a little more than what she's done before.
My take: Carmouche has made a career of being the toughest night of anyone's year, and Bishop beat her at the thing that's supposed to be Carmouche's safety net. That's a statement, not just a belt.
Khizriev vs. Braga: Perfect, but only just
This is the one that could've gone either way.
No. 2 featherweight Timur Khizriev and No. 5 Gabriel Braga, a former PFL Tournament finalist, went back and forth for all 15 minutes. Two judges gave it to Khizriev 29-28. The third had it 29-28 for Braga.
Split decision. 19-0.
Undefeated records don't care how close it was, and Khizriev's is intact. But Braga (17-4) showed he's right there with the best at 145, and nobody watching this one would argue against seeing it again.
Khamidov: One left hook
109 seconds. That's all No. 6 bantamweight Sarvarjon Khamidov (18-1) needed.
A short left hook landed flush on Rafael do Nascimento's chin. Do Nascimento went down, Khamidov followed him with hammerfists, and the referee stepped in at 1:49 of Round 1.
That's back-to-back stoppages in the PFL. If he keeps this up, the 135-pound rankings won't hold him for long.
Tandia: A clean debut
Oualy Tandia (6-0) opened the main card in his PFL debut, a 173-pound catchweight against JP Saint Louis (12-6).
He outstruck him and outwrestled him for most of three rounds. Saint Louis had a strong second, but Tandia took the third back and won on the cards, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28.
Undefeated, well-rounded, and comfortable on a big stage first time out. One to watch at welterweight.
Main card results
Women's Flyweight World Championship: Jena Bishop def. Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision (48-47 x3)
Featherweight: Timur Khizriev def. Gabriel Braga by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Bantamweight: Sarvarjon Khamidov def. Rafael do Nascimento by KO (punches) at 1:49 of Round 1
Catchweight (173 lbs): Oualy Tandia def. JP Saint Louis by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims: The judges had the night off
Eight of nine prelims ended inside the distance. Four of them didn't make it out of the first round.
Welterweight: Eliezer Kubanza def. Trey Waters by KO (punches) at 1:36 of Round 1
Light Heavyweight: Emiliano Sordi def. Abraham Bably by TKO (punches) at 3:13 of Round 2
Lightweight: Kevin Pease def. Cassio Barao by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:28 of Round 2
Women's Flyweight: Shannon Clark def. Lucero Acosta by TKO (punches) at 1:59 of Round 3
Lightweight: Gamid Khizriev def. Michael Boylan by TKO (elbows) at 3:04 of Round 1
Bantamweight: Cobey Fehr def. Rosario Romero by submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:58 of Round 1
Lightweight: Levan Khabalaev def. Brock Hammer by TKO (strikes) at 1:01 of Round 1
Women's Flyweight: Paulina Wisniewska def. Chelsea Hackett by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Featherweight: Noah Hermosillo def. Cade Cox by TKO (body kick and punches) at 1:43 of Round 3
Surprises
Carmouche gets controlled. A former Bellator champ and reigning tournament winner spent most of a title fight on her back. Not many people saw that coming after Round 1.
Khizriev's closest call. 19-0 sounds dominant. A split decision with one judge going the other way says this one was a coin flip.
Divisions collide on the prelims. No. 9 light heavyweight Emiliano Sordi stopped Abraham Bably, ranked No. 5 at heavyweight, in the second round.
The unbeatens kept rolling. Kevin Pease (9-0), Gamid Khizriev (6-0), Levan Khabalaev (6-0), Cobey Fehr (5-0) and Noah Hermosillo (2-0) all stayed perfect, and every one of them did it by stoppage.
A new champion, a perfect record that survived, and a prelim card full of finishes. Not a bad night in Chicago.
Sources
Results, rankings, records and quotes: Professional Fighters League, "Complete PFL Chicago Results and Photos," official press release, October 17, 2026. More at PFLmma.com.
Photos: official PFL Chicago event photos, courtesy of the Professional Fighters League.
Graphics: Cage Classics, built on the official results.