Jena Bishop Taps Ekaterina Shakalova, Advances to World Tournament Final
Jena Bishop looked to have Ekaterina Shakalova in danger early in the opening round of the pair’s PFL World Tournament women’s flyweight semifinal on Friday.
An early rear-naked choke attempt looked tight, but Ukraine’s Shakalova weathered that storm, and several others, avoiding a couple of heel hook attempts as the round wore on.
Still, for Shakalova, too much of the round was spent playing defense, with upkicks, elbows off the bottom, and even a calf slicer thrown her way. If there was a bright spot, it was Shakalova’s time on top, and some elbows late in the round, in what turned out to be a rather thrilling opening five minutes.
Bishop, a world-class jiu-jitsu champion, had defeated Kana Watanabe, a Japanese standout with time under the Bellator banner, to make the semifinal round. Shakalova had submitted former Bellator champ Juliana Velasquez, in something of a shock upset. There’d be no upset on Friday however; the fight was close to even with most odds-makers.
Landing a takedown early in round two, Bishop was once again in her wheelhouse, and once again in pursuit of a rear-naked choke. The second attempt at the choke, that saw Bishop roll from one side to another, was tight, too tight, and Shakalova soon had no choice but to tap.
At 39, Bishop got a late start in MMA, making her professional debut in 2021 after years on the BJJ circuit. On Friday, however, she punched her ticket to the final of one of the biggest tournaments in the sport, with $500,000 in prize money waiting for the winner. Bishop will take on one of Liz Carmouche and Elora Dana, set to face off later on the PFL Wichita card.
“I knew where I could get her down and get to where I wanted to be,” Jena Bishop said following the fight. As for her prediction on who she might face, “Liz is a veteran, she’s been doing this a long time, she’s so good and so well-rounded,” Bishop stated. “So I see her getting that win.”
Official Result: Jena Bishop def. Ekaterina Shakalova by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:07
