Liz Carmouche Advances to PFL World Tournament Semifinals
Former Bellator MMA flyweight champion Liz Carmouche secured her spot in the PFL World Championship Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year on Friday, after achieving a TKO in the first round against Ilara Joanne.
Carmouche, with a record of 23-8, has proven to be one of the most consistent competitors in women’s MMA over the last decade, and at 41, she continues to show exceptional performance. Her victory over Joanne came after connecting body shots that knocked her down, finishing the fight with ground strikes.
The fight at 125 pounds was part of the main card of the PFL event in Orlando, Florida.
Previously, Carmouche, who was also a UFC title challenger, reached the semifinals of last year’s tournament, where she was defeated by Taila Santos.
In this year’s semifinals, Carmouche will face Elora Dana (8-0), who qualified after a first-round submission against Diana Avsaragova.
In the other flyweight bracket, Ekaterina Shakalova (9-2) also advanced to the semifinals, following a surprising submission victory over Juliana Velasquez.
Jena Bishop (8-2) secured her spot in the semifinals after a decision over Kana Watanabe. Like Carmouche, Bishop has reached the semifinals two years in a row. In 2024, Bishop lost to Dakota Ditcheva, who became the tournament champion, by knockout.
Results in the Men’s Bantamweight category
The first round of the men’s bantamweight tournament also took place on Friday. Marcirley Alves (13-4) defeated Leandro Higo (23-7) by split decision in a very close fight. Alves will face Jake Hadley (12-4) from England, who achieved a spectacular “Scottish twister” submission over Matheus Mattos.
Justin Wetzell (11-2) and Mando Gutierrez (11-3) also advanced to a semifinal.
The PFL World Tournament will continue on April 18 in Orlando with the first-round fights in the middleweight and lightweight divisions.
