Satisfaction in Sight for Jena Bishop

Jena Bishop seems to be finding her groove in her second year with the Professional Fighters League, as she prepares to meet Ekaterina Shakalova in a PFL 2025 World Tournament 6 women’s flyweight semifinal on Friday at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Bishop established herself as appointment viewing in 2024, and even though she fell short in battles with Dakota Ditcheva and Taila Santos, the latter resulted in a contentious decision many thought could have gone to the American.

Bishop rebounded in her first assignment of 2025 and picked up a unanimous decision over Kana Watanabe, another highly respected opponent, in the 125-pound quarterfinals on April 11. Known for her expensive “sunnies” sunglasses and weight-cut karaoke sessions with her coaches and teammates, Bishop’s character and personality are being put on display this year, along with her excellent in-cage skills.

“I think it’s important for the promotion to showcase personalities,” she told Sherdog.com. “A lot of athletes are kind of boring in a lot of ways. I am, too, because I train and teach jiu-jitsu, but we do have personalities and I think that’s what brings more fans to people. As a fan of the sport, I grow to love fighters because of who they are, and it’s about being real and authentic. There’s more than just fighting to who we are as people. That’s what really brings the eyes from the fans.”

The aforementioned loss to Santos boosted Bisphop’s confidence, providing some proof that she could indeed compete at the sport’s highest levels.

“There are a lot of things that I learned from that fight, in particular,” she said. “It gave me a lot of extra confidence because I realized I don’t have to rely on my jiu-jitsu in fights. A big thing I realized was I was previously stuck in a competition jiu-jitsu mindset, but in MMA, it’s not advantageous to stay in certain positions. There was a lot to be learned. I’m grateful for those moments. I wasn’t feeling that great, either, so even in the third round, I told myself [that] even when I’m sick, I can compete with the best in the world.”

Looking ahead to her forthcoming clash with Shakalova, Bishop welcomes a ground battle with the Ukrainian but feels a level of comfort no matter where the fight goes.

Fighters only get one shot! Watch the Semifinals of the PFL World Tournament LIVE Friday, June 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+

“Hitting people is always fun,” she said. “It would be cool. My striking coach says he loves that I’m down for the cause, but he’s always reminding me that we want to get it to the ground. I’m happy to take it anywhere. My wrestling is pretty good, too. I’m excited for this one because wherever the fight goes, I’m ready.”

As for what the 2025 campaign holds, a tournament championship and potential revenge bout against Ditcheva are certainly in play for Bishop. However, she knows she cannot look to far into the future.

“Honestly, I would love to get that one back,” Bishop said. “I think the stoppage [against Ditcheva] was nonsense. Right now, I have to focus on this fight, getting that win, winning that belt, becoming the tournament champion. That’s where I’m at right now. If I think too far ahead, you get no breaks in this tournament. I’ll start stressing myself out. I don’t want to think too far ahead. I want to get through this and take a breath, and then I definitely want that fight.”

Getting the victory over Shakalova would lock down a spot in the tournament final and tie a bow on all the effort and dedication Bishop has put in to her preparation.

“This camp has been hard on a personal level,” she said. “There’s been a lot going on. I feel the end of camp everything came together perfectly. For me, there are personal goals and battles that I’ve won throughout camp. You get frustrated by life, but I have to focus on the fight. Pushing myself, getting the result—that’s the satisfaction I’m looking for.”

⚖️ #PFLWorldTournament 6️⃣Official Weigh Ins

Women’s Flyweight Bout:
Ekaterina Shakalova: 126 lbs
Jena Bishop: 125.6 lbs

[ #PFLWorldTournament | Friday, June 20th | Early Card 5:30PM | Main Card 8PM EST | ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/5tN4umuCIL

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 19, 2025