PFL Chicago brings the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight World Championship to Wintrust Arena on Friday, Oct. 16, with Liz Carmouche meeting Jena Bishop for the second time. Undefeated Timur Khizriev returns in the co-main event against Gabriel Braga, and the main card airs at 11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
What’s at stake
The winner becomes the first PFL women’s flyweight world champion. PFL says it is the first new championship the league has introduced since its merger with Most Valuable Promotions. Cageside Press reported that the booking followed an injury to Dakota Ditcheva’s hands, which forced PFL to rework its vacant 125-pound title picture. PFL CEO John Martin said there is “no better stage than Chicago to crown the first champion in this division.”
Carmouche and Bishop run it back
Carmouche (26-8), ranked No. 2, won the 2025 PFL World Tournament with a third-round knockout of Bishop in the final. She competed in the UFC’s first women’s fight in 2013, served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and has won 13 of her last 14. Her most recent win was a second-round guillotine of Viviane Araujo at PFL San Diego.
Bishop (11-3), ranked No. 4, is an IBJJF No-Gi world champion and ADCC veteran. PFL says she nearly finished Carmouche from the bottom in the second round of their first fight. Since then she has two first-round submissions, including a choke of Borena Tsertsvadze at PFL Chicago in April.
Khizriev returns against Braga
The co-main event is a featherweight rematch. Undefeated Timur Khizriev (18-0), ranked No. 2, won the 2024 PFL featherweight title and has not fought since. PFL describes his layoff as a lengthy recovery from an armed attack and a broken hand. He faces No. 5 Gabriel Braga (17-3), a former PFL finalist who took him to a split decision the first time. A win moves Khizriev closer to a world title shot, according to PFL.
The rest of the main card has No. 6 bantamweight Sarvarjon Khamidov (17-1) against Rafael do Nascimento (13-2), unbeaten welterweight Oualy Tandia (5-0) against JP Saint Louis (12-5), and 2019 PFL light heavyweight champion Emiliano Sordi (26-14-1) against No. 5 heavyweight Abraham Bably (8-3) at light heavyweight.
Full fight card
| Bout | Division | Card |
|---|---|---|
| Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop | Women’s flyweight title | Main card |
| Timur Khizriev vs. Gabriel Braga | Featherweight | Main card |
| Sarvarjon Khamidov vs. Rafael do Nascimento | Bantamweight | Main card |
| Oualy Tandia vs. JP Saint Louis | Welterweight | Main card |
| Emiliano Sordi vs. Abraham Bably | Light heavyweight | Main card |
| Gamid Khizriev vs. Michael Boylan | Lightweight | Early card |
| Shannon Clark vs. Lucero Acosta | Women’s flyweight | Early card |
| Cassio Barao vs. Kevin Pease | Lightweight | Early card |
| Eliezer Kubanza vs. Trey Waters | Welterweight | Early card |
| Cobey Fehr vs. Rosario Romero | Bantamweight | Early card |
| Paulina Wisniewska vs. Chelsea Hackett | Women’s flyweight | Early card |
| Noah Hermosillo vs. Caden Cox | Featherweight | Early card |
| Benita van Rooij vs. Giuliany Perea | Women’s strawweight | Early card |
| Levan Khabalaev vs. Morquez Forest | Lightweight | Early card |
The card is as announced by PFL on Sept. 23. Cards can change before fight night.
How to watch
The early card begins at 6:00 p.m. ET on the ESPN App for subscribers with the ESPN Unlimited plan, and the main card follows at 11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. You can stream PFL on ESPN, and PFL Chicago tickets for Wintrust Arena are on sale now.
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