Taila Santos, who began her MMA career in 2013, started things off with 15 victories in a row – including 10 straight first-round finishes. A former flyweight champion on the regional scene, Santos has been in there with the likes of Valentina Shevchenko, Roxanne Modaferri and Gillian Robertson. In her PFL debut in April, Santos scored a first-round submission of Ilara Joanne.

 

Jena Bishop began training jiu-jitsu as a 21-year-old before making her professional MMA debut in 2021. She enters tonight unbeaten at 7-0, with four finishes – all four of them being first-round submissions. A training partner to Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Angela Hill, Bishop defeated Ilara Joanne at Bellator 290 and Joanne at Bellator 301 before a successful PFL debut in April, submitting Chelsea Hackett.

 

With both women at six points thus far, the winner of this fight will automatically clinch a spot in the PFL women’s flyweight playoffs.

 

 

Round 1

 

High kick is blocked by Bishop. Santos getting into range right away. A couple of low kicks from Bishop, who grabs a hold of Santos. Santos steps across and the two end up at the fence, with Bishop putting Santos’s back against it. Santos reverses the position. Santos landing a couple of right hands to the body. The two jockey for position and Bishop catches the hips, getting to Santos’s back standing. Santos defends and forces Bishop back to her front, but Santos still has her back to the fence. Santos pummels and gets Bishop to the fence now. Santos scores the takedown and gets into the guard of Bishop.

 

Bishop working Santos from the bottom, landing hammerfists. Santos with head pressure. Bishop trying to bring her guard up high. Santos with a hard combination – two to the body and one to the head. Bishop throwing to the head of Santos, while Santos looking to grab at an arm. One-two from the bottom by Bishop. Santos pressing on Bishop’s knees with her legs to keep her down. Bishop continues to strike to the bell.

 

 

 

Round 2

 

Low kick by Santos. One-two from Bishop. Left hand by Bishop. Santos with a couple of hard knees. Bishop locks up with Santos, and the two end up back at the fence. Bishop with a couple of knees, with Santos’s back to the fence. Santos struggles to pummel. Bishop looks for a takedown, but now Santos pummels. Second takedown attempt by Bishop, but Santos gets back to her feet – and now Santos is the one who has Bishop’s back to the fence.

 

Santos pressing Bishop in, while Bishop looking to turn and use the momentum. Santos with a few knees. Santos scores the takedown and ends up in side control. Santos with a solid right hand. Bishop uses the butterfly hooks and looks to get her guard up. Santos with a couple of left hands. Bishop landing a couple of shots from the bottom. Santos working over Bishop’s sides with strikes.

 

 

Round 3

 

Low kick from Santos. Round kick to the body by Santos. Low kick by Santos. One-two from Bishop. One-two from Santos. Bishop flashing the jab. Bishop lands a left and a right. Strong one-two from Santos. Bishop misses a couple of left jabs. Left hand from Santos. Kick from Santos to the body. Front kick by Santos. Round kick by Santos. Right hand misses for Santos. Low kick by Santos. A couple of jabs from Bishop. Santos presses Bishop into the fence.

 

Bishop scores the takedown and she gets into full mount. Bishop throwing hammer fists, and Santos gives up her back. Bishop has a body triangle in. Bishop looking for a choke but is forced to let go. Bishop throwing punches with the left hand. Bishop looks for the rear-naked choke again. Bishop goes for more punches again. Santos uses the hips to turn around, and now she’s on top in Bishop’s guard. Bishop, however, is trapped up against the fence. Fight will end in this position.

 

 

 

OFFICIAL RESULT

 

Taila Santos defeats Jena Bishop by split decision (29-28x2, 28-29) in the PFL Women’s Flyweight Division.

  • Santos clinches a playoff spot in her first PFL season
  • Santos moves her career record to 21-3 and hands Bishop the first loss of her career