Carmouche shaves head to make weight for PFL flyweight title fight in Chicago

Liz Carmouche shaved her head to make weight for her PFL flyweight world title fight in Chicago on Friday and successfully met the limit, while opponent Jena Bishop weighed in just under the 125lb mark. Carmouche required a last-minute haircut using electric clippers before stepping on the scales.

Carmouche, who has previously fought in the UFC and Bellator, will meet Bishop in the main event for the PFL flyweight world title in a rematch of their 2025 encounter, when Bishop suffered a third-round knockout. Carmouche is 42 and a former Bellator flyweight champion; Bishop is 40. Since Carmouche's PFL debut in 2024 she has recorded six wins and one defeat, while Bishop has three losses in eight PFL fights.

Carmouche's team used electric clippers to shave her head to ensure she made weight, and despite the last-minute measures she was all smiles during the weigh-in. The veteran rubbed her hair to show off the impromptu haircut, which included some bare spots, and was described as proud to display the new look.

Earlier in the week Carmouche called the flyweight cut a "crazy cut." "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. "So 135lb makes the most sense, but the performance I have at 125lb makes it really hard to want to go up a weight class."

A victory on Friday would be the 27th of Carmouche's professional career; she made her MMA debut in 2010. Carmouche says she has no plans to retire and has identified Briton Dakota Ditcheva as the opponent she would prefer for her first defence should she capture the title, noting Ditcheva is recovering from surgery.

"[March] gives her enough time to heal from her surgery," Carmouche said. "I think a welcome back fight makes no sense at all."

The two fighters meet in Friday's main event in Chicago for the PFL flyweight world title, with Carmouche aiming to convert her weight cut into a successful title challenge.