Veteran Flyweight Impressive with Vicious Guillotine Saturday Night

Liz Carmouche (26-8 MMA, 6-1 PFL) has logged a professional career of 34 fights over the course of over 16 years. Saturday night, Carmouche, who was born in Louisiana before relocating to California, returned to the Golden State for PFL San Diego inside Pechanga Arena.

For her 34th walk to an MMA cage as a professional and seventh walk to the SmartCage, she drew the assignment of Viviane Araujo (14-4 MMA, 1-1 PFL.) Like Liz Carmouche, Viviane Araujo is also a veteran of MMA's No. 1 promotion, the UFC.

Under the UFC promotional banner, Araujo went 7-6 in 13 contests inside the fabled Octagon between July of 2019 and June of last year. Saturday night's PFL San Diego co-main attraction against Liz Carmouche served as Araujo's sophomore appearance with the company. In the second week of April, she got her hand raised in victory in Chicago by way of unanimous decision versus Shanna Young.

Liz Carmouche Locks in Guillotine Choke for First Time Ever in PFL San Diego Co-Main Event

Although Saturday's co-main event of the evening matching Liz Carmouche against Viviane Araujo was advertised to be a three-round contest at five minutes apiece, the former needed less than two full rounds to pass her latest test. At the second round of the fight, Carmouche landed a kick to her opponent's calf, causing Araujo to slip.

About two minutes into the period, Liz Carmouche pounced on a deep guillotine choke, forcing Viviane Araujo to tap out from the pressure. Time of the stoppage: Two minutes and seven seconds into the second round.

Numerically speaking, Saturday's victory was her 18th inside the distance and her seventh by way of submission, but it carried more significance. Liz Carmouche's win over Viviane Araujo served as the first time she had ever finished an opponent via guillotine choke.

Next Steps for Liz Carmouche

Following the submission victory, Liz Carmouche made her way backstage to talk about her fight that was with Kennedy Smith on the ESPN2 broadcast. She discussed what it was like fighting in front of the San Diego audience.

"It was a lot of fun," Liz Carmouche said of the fight. "I was feeling the energy tonight. I was getting cold backstage and as soon as I heard the crowd erupt, I felt re-energized. I felt warm, I felt on-fire and ready to go."

While PFL CEO John Martin spoke of the possibilities of the promotion booking a PFL Women's Flyweight Championship fight versus Dakota Ditcheva (15-0, 10-0 PFL) later on in 2026 during an appearance on the PFL San Diego telecast Saturday night, Liz Carmouche wants the PFL to expand its horizons in the future.

"I want to see that bantamweight division," she mentioned. "I want it so badly. PFL is missing out on some great athletes. I think the more that we can get women out here, because we are the ones that make the nights fun and exciting, that people want to watch, it can only get better for PFL."