Liz Carmouche vs. Viviane Araujo set for PFL San Diego co-main
Former Bellator flyweight champion Liz Carmouche will face UFC veteran Viviane Araujo in the co-main event of PFL San Diego on June 27 at Pechanga Arena, the promotion announced Wednesday.
Carmouche, ranked second in the PFL’s 125-pound division, swept the flyweight tournament last year with three straight wins including a knockout over Jena Bishop in the finals, per MMA Fighting. The 42-year-old San Diego native rebounded from her lone PFL loss — a decision to Taila Santos in 2024 — with the unbeaten run and has gone 12-1 since leaving the UFC in 2019.
Title shot implications at flyweight
Araujo checks in at ninth in the PFL rankings after scoring a unanimous decision over Shanna Young in her promotional debut at PFL Chicago on April 11. The 39-year-old Brazilian went 7-6 during her UFC stint from 2019 to 2025, beating Karine Silva, Jennifer Maia, and Andrea Lee while dropping decisions to Tracy Cortez, Natalia Silva, and Alexa Grasso.
According to a PFL release reported by Sherdog, the bout could determine the next contender at flyweight. Undefeated champion Dakota Ditcheva has been sidelined for several months with a hand injury and is awaiting her next assignment. Carmouche holds wins over Juliana Velasquez twice, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Jessica Andrade, and Valentina Shevchenko across her UFC and Bellator runs.
A featherweight clash between A.J. McKee and Salamat Isbulaev headlines the card. The main card airs on ESPN 2 at 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on the ESPN app 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