PFL loads Chicago card with Wisniewska–Hackett flyweight clash ahead of October finale

The Professional Fighters League has added another women’s flyweight bout to its October 16 card in Chicago, an event billed as the promotion’s last U.S. show of the year. According to reporting by Sherdog, Paulina Wisniewska will meet Chelsea Hackett in a matchup that carries weight in the 125-pound division.

Wisniewska arrives on strong form. The Polish fighter last competed during the PFL’s earlier trip to Chicago this year, where she finished Kana Watanabe by second-round technical knockout — her fifth win under the PFL banner. Her only professional defeat came via split decision against Sabrinna de Sousa in 2025.

Hackett, meanwhile, is coming off a victory over Andrea Vazquez at PFL Belfast in April, a result that ended a three-fight skid. A win over Wisniewska would strengthen her case for a place in the promotion’s women’s flyweight rankings, while Wisniewska could press her claim as a divisional front-runner with another victory.

The bout joins a card headlined by a women’s flyweight title rematch between Liz Carmouche and Jena Bishop. Other announced matchups include Timur Khizriev against Gabriel Braga and Denis Goltsov versus Maxwell Djantou Nana, with Alexandr Shabliy facing Landry Ward, Sarvarjon Khamidov meeting Rafael do Nascimento, Oualy Tandia against Kendly St. Louis, Emiliano Sordi versus Abraham Bably, Shannon Clark against Lucero Acosta, Eliezer Kubanza versus Trey Waters, and Cassio Junio taking on Kevin Pease.

The event is scheduled to air Saturday, October 16 at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN, the flagship sports network of The Walt Disney Company. Disney, whose shares closed at $104.18 before trading up roughly 1.57% to about $105.82 in the most recent session, continues to use ESPN as a key distribution platform for live combat sports, with a market capitalization near $181.8 billion in the Communication Services sector.

What to watch

• Whether additional bouts are announced for the October 16 card as the event approaches.
• Viewership figures for the ESPN broadcast, given the network’s role in Disney’s Sports segment.
• How results in the Wisniewska–Hackett bout affect the PFL’s published women’s flyweight rankings.

Source: original release.