MMA veteran Liz Carmouche shaved her head on Thursday to successfully reach the 125-pound limit for her vacant PFL women’s flyweight title fight. The 42-year-old fighter, who competes against Jena Bishop in Chicago this Friday, took the measure after needing to lose the final weight required.
Weigh-in Measures at Wintrust Arena
Liz Carmouche, a former UFC title challenger and Bellator champion, secured her spot in the main event of PFL Chicago by cutting her hair moments before stepping onto the scale. While her opponent, Jena Bishop, registered 124.6 pounds, the 42-year-old Carmouche faced a tighter margin as she prepared to compete for the vacant PFL women’s flyweight title. Carmouche (26-8) and Bishop (11-3) headline the card at Wintrust Arena, which airs on ESPN2 and streams on the ESPN app.
Liz Carmouche shaves head to make weight for PFL Chicago title fight https://t.co/hWI0BA7RYZ
This camp I had some easy and hard things to do to make weight. With .2 left on the table the hair had to go. It’s just hair! Now to rehydrate for tomorrow.
Liz Carmouche, fighter
Carmouche’s team utilized electric clippers to remove her hair on Thursday. This decision follows her missing the 125-pound mark by one pound during a bout against Taila Santos in August 2024. Despite the last-minute rush, observers noted that Carmouche appeared all smiles and rubbed her hair to show off her new look, which included some bare spots during the official weigh-in process.
Rematch for the Vacant Flyweight Title
Friday’s bout at Wintrust Arena serves as a rematch of the 2025 PFL women’s flyweight tournament final. In that August 2025 meeting in Charlotte, Carmouche defeated Bishop via a third-round knockout to secure the tournament win.
The winner will be crowned the PFL women’s flyweight champion. Carmouche enters the cage on a four-fight winning streak, most recently defeating former UFC ranked contender Viviane Araujo in June. Bishop, meanwhile, has maintained momentum with back-to-back submission victories since her previous loss to Carmouche.
The event features a full lineup alongside the main event. Additional weigh-in results include Gabriel Braga at 145.8 pounds and Timur Khizriev at 145.4 pounds for their featherweight matchup, while Rafael Do Nasicmento weighed 135.4 pounds and Sarvarjon Khamidov weighed 135.8 pounds. In other action, Eliezer Kubanza registered 170.2 pounds opposite Trey Waters at 170.4 pounds.
Weight Class Challenges and Future Outlook
Reflecting on the physical demands of her career, Carmouche noted that maintaining the 125-pound limit has become increasingly difficult. My bone density keeps increasing, therefore my weight keeps increasing and I can keep reducing calories but that’s not going to change the build of my body,
she told Ariel Helwani on Uncrowned earlier in the week. She acknowledged that while 135 pounds might be a more natural fit for her current build, her performance level at 125 pounds remains a primary motivator.
A victory on Friday would further solidify the veteran’s legacy in the sport. Should she prevail against Bishop, industry reporting suggests a potential 2027 showdown with Dakota Ditcheva, who is currently sidelined due to injury.
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