The PFL women’s flyweight title is up for grabs, and Jena Bishop isn’t just fighting for gold on October 16 in Chicago, she’s fighting for something way more personal. Bishop is heading into her rematch against Liz Carmouche for the vacant 125-pound title with a fire lit under her, especially since she’s completely lost respect for her opponent outside the cage. Get ready, because this is not just a title bout, it’s a grudge match.
Revenge Isn’t The Only Thing On Bishop’s Mind
This October 16 showdown at Wintrust Arena in Chicago isn’t the first time Bishop, who holds an 11-3 record, has faced off against the former Bellator champion, Carmouche (26-8). Their last meeting was just last August in the PFL tournament final, where Carmouche snagged a TKO victory in the third round. But don’t let that fool you. The first fight wasn’t all one-way traffic. Bishop, at 40 years old, had Carmouche, 42, in serious trouble with submission attempts in the second round, just couldn’t seal the deal. This time, with the title left vacant after a Dakota Ditcheva injury, the stakes are even higher, and Bishop has a clear path to get that belt.
She’s ‘Maybe Not So Much’ For Liz Carmouche The Person
What truly makes this rematch pop is the extra layer of personal motivation for Bishop. She’s not just eager to get one back and claim the title, she’s also dead set on defeating someone she’s lost all respect for on a personal level. Bishop didn’t hold back, telling MMA Junkie Radio, “I have a lot of respect for anybody who steps in the cage, so you know, there’s respect for her in the fact that she’s done this for a long time. As a fighter, I have some respect for her. As a person , umm, maybe not so much.”
Why the personal jab? Bishop pointed to “things that , the way that she carries herself inside the training room. There’s a lot of stories that I’ve heard that I’m like, when you’re training, especially in a sport like this that you have to have trust in your training partners. Trust that people are trying to keep you safe. Especially when you’re getting ready for a fight. I need to have a lot of trust in the people that , you know, we’re trying to hurt each other like for real, but not actually in the training room and not when I’m getting ready to fight. I don’t think that she really cares about her training partners.” Since that initial loss to Carmouche, Bishop has been on a roll, securing a pair of first-round submissions against Borena Tsertsvadze and Ariane Lipski. She’s confident she knows how this one ends, too. Bishop stated, “I think I know what that ending is, and I do see it going my way, and me getting that submission.” She loves the fight, the competition, but also knows what she’s worked for: “Regardless of who’s standing across from me, I am fighting for the title. That’s what I’ve wanted. That’s what I’ve been working towards. So, getting that belt and getting that win is the thing that motivates me every single day I’m in the cage.”
On October 16 at Wintrust Arena, we’re not just getting a title fight, we’re getting a rivalry that’s boiling over. Bishop wants that belt, and she wants to prove a point about respect. This isn’t one to miss.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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