Jena Bishop

Jena Bishop
BornJena Rae Bishop
(1986-02-22)February 22, 1986
St. Charles, Missouri, United States
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Weight125 lb (57 kg)
DivisionWomen's flyweight
Reach66 in (170 cm)
StyleBrazilian jiu-jitsu
Fighting out ofSan Diego, California, United States
TeamAlliance Jiu-Jitsu San Diego (2019–present)
Gracie Humaitá (2007–2019)
RankBlack belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Years active2021–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total14
Wins11
By knockout0
By submission7
By decision4
Losses3
By knockout2
By submission0
By decision1
Draws0
No contests0
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: August 10, 2026

Jena Rae Bishop (born February 22, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitor. In grappling she is an eleven-time medalist at IBJJF world championships, winning the No-Gi World Championship at black belt in 2017, both her weight class and the open class at the 2017 World Master Championship, and the World Championship at brown belt in 2013.[1][2][3][4]

Bishop began her professional mixed martial arts career in 2021 and competes in the women's flyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where she was the runner-up in the 2025 women's flyweight world tournament.[5] As of August 2026 she holds a record of 11–3, with wins over Kana Watanabe, Ekaterina Shakalova, Luana Santos, Elina Kallionidou and Ariane Lipski da Silva, and is ranked fourth in the promotion's women's flyweight division.[6][7]

Background

Bishop is from St. Charles, Missouri, outside St. Louis, where she ran track and cross country in high school.[8][9][10] She began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2007 after being introduced to the sport by her future husband, Tyler Bishop.[11][12] JW Wright promoted her through every belt rank, awarding her black belt on July 13, 2013.[12][4][10] She moved to San Diego in 2016 and joined Alliance Jiu-Jitsu San Diego in 2019.[12][13]

Mixed martial arts career

Legacy Fighting Alliance

During the COVID-19 shutdown of jiu-jitsu competition, Bishop trained with and cornered former UFC title challenger Cat Zingano before transitioning to mixed martial arts, also sparring with Angela Hill.[14] She made her professional debut in 2021, signing with Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA).[15][16] She won all four of her LFA bouts, submitting Helen Lucero at LFA 116 in October 2021 and Olivia Beeskau at LFA 145 in October 2022, and taking decisions over Dione Barbosa and Luana Santos.[6][17]

Bellator MMA

Bishop signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA in October 2022.[15] She won a unanimous decision over Elina Kallionidou at Bellator 291 in Dublin in February 2023, and submitted Ilara Joanne with a first-round armbar at Bellator 300 in San Diego that October.[6][18]

Professional Fighters League

Following the acquisition of Bellator by the PFL, Bishop entered the promotion's 2024 women's flyweight season, submitting Chelsea Hackett in the first round at PFL 1.[6] She lost a split decision to Taila Santos at PFL 4 in June 2024 and was stopped by Dakota Ditcheva in the semifinals at PFL 7 that August.[6]

In the 2025 PFL World Tournament, Bishop won a unanimous decision over Kana Watanabe in April 2025 and submitted Ekaterina Shakalova with a second-round rear-naked choke in the June semifinal in Wichita, Kansas, reaching the final.[6][16][19] On August 15, 2025, at PFL 9 in Charlotte, North Carolina, she lost the women's flyweight tournament final to former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche by third-round stoppage.[5][20]

Bishop was ranked seventh at women's flyweight when the PFL introduced official rankings in January 2026.[21] She submitted Borena Tsertsvadze in the first round at PFL Chicago in April 2026,[22][23] and submitted former UFC fighter Ariane Lipski da Silva with a first-round armbar at PFL San Diego that June.[24] As of August 2026 the PFL ranked Bishop fourth in its women's flyweight division.[7]

Bishop is scheduled to face Liz Carmouche in a rematch with for the inaugural PFL Women's Flyweight Championship on October 16, 2026, at PFL Chicago 2.[25]

Professional grappling career

Bishop is an eleven-time medalist across the IBJJF World, World No-Gi and World Master championships.[26][3][27][2][1][28][29][30] Her major titles include the 2013 World Championship at brown belt, the 2017 World No-Gi Championship at black belt, and double gold at the 2017 World Master Championship.[3][1][2]

In 2019 Bishop won the under-60 kg division at the second ADCC North American Trials and competed at the ADCC World Championship, reaching the quarter-finals.[31][32][33]

Fighting style

Bishop is a grappler; seven of her eleven professional wins have come by submission.[6][20]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Black belt

  • IBJJF World No-Gi Championship: 1st place, lightweight (2017); 2nd place (2019); 3rd place (2018)[1][30][28]
  • IBJJF World Master Championship: 1st place, Master 1 lightweight and open class (2017)[2]
  • IBJJF Pan Championship: 1st place, Master 1 lightweight and open class (2017); 2nd place (2018); 3rd place (2014, 2016, 2019)[34][35][36][37][38]
  • IBJJF European Championship: 1st place, Master 1 lightweight and open class (2017)[39]
  • IBJJF American National Championship: 1st place, lightweight (2017)[40]
  • IBJJF World Championship: 3rd place, lightweight (2016, 2019)[27][29]
  • ADCC North American Trials: 1st place, −60 kg (2019)[31][32]

Coloured belts

  • IBJJF World Championship: 1st place, brown belt lightweight and 3rd place, brown belt open class (2013); 2nd place, purple belt lightweight and 3rd place, purple belt open class (2012)[3][26]
  • IBJJF Pan Championship: 2nd place, brown belt lightweight (2013)[41]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
14 matches 11 wins 3 losses
By knockout 0 2
By submission 7 0
By decision 4 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 11–3 Ariane Lipski da Silva Submission (armbar) PFL San Diego: McKee vs. Isbulaev June 27, 2026 1 4:08 San Diego, California, United States
Win 10–3 Borena Tsertsvadze Technical submission (rear-naked choke) PFL Chicago: Pettis vs. McKee April 11, 2026 1 2:21 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss 9–3 Liz Carmouche KO (punches) PFL 9 (2025) August 15, 2025 3 2:56 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States 2025 PFL World Tournament women's flyweight final.
Win 9–2 Ekaterina Shakalova Submission (rear-naked choke) PFL 6 (2025) June 20, 2025 2 2:07 Wichita, Kansas, United States 2025 PFL World Tournament women's flyweight semifinal.
Win 8–2 Kana Watanabe Decision (unanimous) PFL 2 (2025) April 11, 2025 3 5:00 Orlando, Florida, United States 2025 PFL World Tournament women's flyweight first round.
Loss 7–2 Dakota Ditcheva TKO (front kick to the body and punches) PFL 7 (2024) August 2, 2024 1 3:54 Nashville, Tennessee, United States 2024 PFL women's flyweight playoff semifinal.
Loss 7–1 Taila Santos Decision (split) PFL 4 (2024) June 13, 2024 3 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 7–0 Chelsea Hackett Submission (armbar) PFL 1 (2024) April 4, 2024 1 4:15 San Antonio, Texas, United States
Win 6–0 Ilara Joanne Submission (armbar) Bellator 300 October 7, 2023 1 2:45 San Diego, California, United States
Win 5–0 Elina Kallionidou Decision (unanimous) Bellator 291 February 25, 2023 3 5:00 Dublin, Ireland
Win 4–0 Olivia Beeskau Submission (rear-naked choke) LFA 145 October 21, 2022 1 2:02 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States
Win 3–0 Luana Santos Decision (split) LFA 135 July 8, 2022 3 5:00 Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win 2–0 Dione Barbosa Decision (unanimous) LFA 118 November 12, 2021 3 5:00 Burbank, California, United States
Win 1–0 Helen Lucero Submission (rear-naked choke) LFA 116 October 22, 2021 1 3:38 Vail, Colorado, United States

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2017 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2013 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Bellator 291: Jena Bishop's Goal Is the Belt, Doesn't Want to Waste Any Time Getting There". Cageside Press. February 20, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "2025 PFL World Tournament 9 results: Liz Carmouche wins final, calls out Dakota Ditcheva". MMA Junkie. August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jena Bishop MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography". Sherdog. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  7. 1 2 "PFL Rankings". Professional Fighters League. August 7, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Cusumano, Frank (July 21, 2024). "MMA fighter, St. Charles native Jena Bishop preps for huge PFL fight". Fox 2 St. Louis. Retrieved August 10, 2026 – via Yahoo Sports.
  9. ↑ "Jena Bishop – Women's Flyweight". Professional Fighters League. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Jena Bishop". BJJ Heroes. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  11. ↑ "BJJ Black Belt Jena Bishop Talks Competition And Being A Woman In Jiu-Jitsu". Jiu-Jitsu Times. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "Profile of a Powerful Female: Jena Bishop". Grappling Insider. September 23, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Badass Jena Bishop Wins Double Gold Without Conceding A Single Point". FloGrappling. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  14. ↑ "World Champ Jena Bishop Is Pursuing a Career in MMA". BJJ Heroes. February 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  15. 1 2 "Bellator MMA Inks LFA Vet Jena Bishop to Multi-Fight Deal". Cageside Press. October 28, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  16. 1 2 "PFL Wichita: Jena Bishop Taps Ekaterina Shakalova, Advances to World Tournament Final". Cageside Press. June 20, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Across The Pond Profile: Legacy Fighting Alliance fighter Jena Bishop". MMA UK. December 8, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  18. ↑ Hammond, Mick (February 23, 2023). "Developing flyweight Jena Bishop hopes for a successful Bellator debut". MMAWeekly. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Satisfaction in Sight for Jena Bishop". Sherdog. June 19, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  20. 1 2 Wagenheim, Jeff (August 15, 2025). "What to know about the 2025 PFL lightweight, bantamweights and women's flyweight finals". ESPN. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  21. ↑ "PFL Unveils Official Fighter Rankings System". Sherdog. January 27, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Jena Bishop Chokes Out Borena Tsertsvadze At PFL Chicago". MMA News. April 11, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  23. ↑ "PFL Chicago Results: McKee Takes Decision Over Pettis". Combat Press. April 11, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  24. ↑ "PFL San Diego video: Jena Bishop wows vs. UFC vet Ariane da Silva". MMA Junkie. June 27, 2026. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  25. ↑ Segura, Danny. "Liz Carmouche vs. Jena Bishop 2 set for vacant PFL women's flyweight title". MMA Junkie. Retrieved August 20, 2026.
  26. 1 2 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2012 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  27. 1 2 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  28. 1 2 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2018 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  29. 1 2 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  30. 1 2 "World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship 2019 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  31. 1 2 "The list of who is in and who is out for ADCC 2019 World Championship". ADCC. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  32. 1 2 "2nd ADCC North American Trials – Results". ADCC / Smoothcomp. February 9, 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  33. ↑ "The Ultimate ADCC 2019 Results, Stats & Recap Hub". FloCombat. September 2019. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  34. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2018 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  36. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2014 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  37. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2016 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  38. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2019 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  39. ↑ "European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  40. ↑ "American National IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2017 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2013 – Results". International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
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