Forty-two-year-old Liz Carmouche was willing to lose her hair to make weight for the biggest opportunity in her PFL career. The former Bellator champion faced Jena Bishop for the first PFL women’s flyweight title at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena on October 16, 2026. Carmouche had already spoken about how difficult it had become to stay at 125 pounds. She believes 135 pounds would suit her body better, but her success at flyweight has made moving up a difficult choice. She eventually weighed in at 125 pounds after shaving her head.




Why Liz Carmouche Finds the 125-Pound Weight Limit So DifficultSpeaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Carmouche explained why making the flyweight limit has become harder with age. She believes changes in her bone and muscle density have affected her weight, making it difficult to reach 125 pounds even when she cuts calories.




“I think 135 makes a lot more sense. 125 is a crazy cut,” Carmouche told Ariel Helwani.




She also explained that changing her diet cannot change her body's natural build. However, she has continued to compete at flyweight because of her strong results in the division.




The Professional Fighters League (PFL) does not currently offer a women's bantamweight division at 135 pounds. That leaves Carmouche without the option of moving up to her preferred weight class within the promotion.




Carmouche has competed at both bantamweight and flyweight during her career. She challenged Marloes Coenen for the Strikeforce bantamweight title in 2011. Two years later, she faced Ronda Rousey in the UFC's first women's fight, which was for the bantamweight championship.




Around 2018, Carmouche moved to flyweight. She later won championships in Bellator and continued competing at 125 pounds after joining the PFL.




Her weight-cutting problems became clear in August 2024. Before a PFL playoff fight against Taila Santos, Carmouche weighed 127 pounds, one pound above the non-title flyweight limit of 126 pounds. She lost 20% of her purse and received a one-point penalty in the PFL standings. Santos then defeated her by unanimous decision.




It was the first time Carmouche had missed weight in her career. That experience helps explain why she took extra steps before her fight with Bishop.




According to the PFL's official weigh-in results published on October 15, Carmouche successfully weighed 125 pounds. Bishop also made weight at 124.6 pounds, leaving both fighters eligible to compete for the title.




Liz Carmouche Is Not the Only Fighter to Struggle With Weight CutsCarmouche is not the only female MMA fighter who has taken drastic steps to make weight. Tracey Cortez also cut her hair before weighing in at 126 pounds for her UFC fight against Rose Namajunas in July 2024. She initially weighed 126.5 pounds.




Ketlen Vieira faced a much bigger problem in August 2026. She weighed 152.2 pounds for her PFL fight against Cris Cyborg, exceeding the 145-pound limit by 7.2 pounds. According to MMA Fighting, the bout went ahead at catchweight, but Vieira could not win the featherweight title.




Other fighters have also faced problems at the scales. Luana Carolina weighed 144 pounds for her scheduled UFC fight against Melissa Mullins, well above the 136-pound limit. Their fight was cancelled. Maycee Barber also missed weight by half a pound before her planned fight against Erin Blanchfield in 2025, although their bout was later cancelled because Barber was not medically cleared.




Former PFL lightweight champion Kayla Harrison has spoken about the physical toll of cutting weight, too. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, she described making weight for her fight against Vieira as “torture.” She later wrote on Instagram, “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done in my career.”




For Carmouche, the immediate goal is clear. She made the 125-pound limit and is set to face Bishop for the inaugural PFL women's flyweight title . Their rematch also gives her a chance to build on her previous victory over Bishop in the 2025 PFL tournament final.




However, the weight issue could shape what comes next. If making 125 pounds continues to demand such extreme steps, Carmouche may have to consider whether staying at flyweight is the right choice for the rest of her career.