Liz Carmouche vs. Viviane Araujo set for PFL San Diego co-main
Liz Carmouche will face Viviane Araujo in a flyweight bout at PFL San Diego on June 27, with the winner positioned for a title shot against undefeated champion Dakota Ditcheva.
The matchup pairs two former UFC stalwarts at Pechanga Arena, with Carmouche ranked No. 2 and Araujo sitting ninth in the PFL’s 125-pound standings, according to Sherdog. Carmouche, 42, swept the PFL flyweight tournament in 2025 with three straight wins including a knockout of Jena Bishop in the finals. The San Diego native has posted a 12-1 record since leaving the UFC in 2019, her lone PFL loss coming via decision to Taila Santos in 2024.
Araujo looks to build momentum after PFL debut win
Araujo earned her first PFL victory with a decision over Shanna Young in April, per MMA Fighting. The 39-year-old Brazilian went 7-6 in the UFC before her exit, beating Jennifer Maia, Andrea Lee and Karine Silva while dropping decisions to Tracy Cortez, Natalia Silva and Alexa Grasso. A former Bellator flyweight champion, Carmouche owns wins over Juliana Velasquez, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Jessica Andrade and Valentina Shevchenko.
The PFL confirmed in a release that the bout could determine Ditcheva’s next challenger. Ditcheva has been sidelined for several months with a hand injury but is expected back later this year.
The PFL San Diego card is headlined by A.J. McKee vs. Salamat Isbulaev at featherweight. The main card airs on ESPN 2 at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims streaming on the ESPN app starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Original reporting:
- mmafighting.com — Liz Carmouche faces fellow UFC veteran in PFL San Diego co-main event | MMA Fighting
- sherdog.com — Pivotal women’s flyweight clash booked for PFL San Diego co-main event