Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his PFL Lightweight Championship against undefeated contender Archie Colgan in the July 31 main event at UBS Arena in Long Island, with Dakota Ditcheva also returning in the co-main event against Denise Kielholtz.
PFL officials announced the bookings to the New York Post.
Nurmagomedov, 21-0, defended his title by submitting Alfie Davis at PFL Dubai in February. Colgan, 13-0, defeated Jay Jay Wilson by unanimous decision on the same card. The two-time NCAA Championship qualifier in wrestling holds wins over Mansour Barnaoui and Emmanuel Sanchez among others.
Ditcheva, 15-0, returns from a year-long absence due to a hand injury. The 2024 PFL flyweight tournament winner had previously been booked to face Kielholtz at PFL Dubai before withdrawing. Kielholtz enters on a three-fight winning streak.
Cris Cyborg has doubled down on her pursuit of Dakota Ditcheva for her retirement fight, responding directly to the PFL star’s recent comments on The Ariel Helwani Show.
The 40-year-old featherweight champion took to social media to address Ditcheva’s skepticism about the matchup, pledging to make 135 pounds for a superfight scheduled for fall 2026.
“I can make 135 for a superfight in the fall @dakotadofficial,” Cyborg wrote. “If this is a fight you want… there isn’t a bigger fight that the @PFLMMA can put on for either one of us. I’m 40. My body carries much less muscle than it did when I struggled to make 140. I won’t miss weight for my retirement fight.”
The callout comes after Ditcheva appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show on January 13, where she questioned the logic of facing Cyborg at a catchweight. The undefeated flyweight contender suggested the legendary champion should instead face Leah McCourt, who has been requesting the fight for years.
“Respectfully, she’s not giving the fight. I am,” Ditcheva said on the show. “I 100% would be the one who sells that fight more. It would be a superfight, but she’s calling me out like she’s picking me. She needs me.”
Cyborg won the PFL featherweight title in December at PFL Lyon, submitting Sara Collins in the third round. The Brazilian legend has stated 2026 will mark her final year competing in MMA, making the choice of opponent for her farewell fight a significant decision for both her legacy and PFL’s promotional plans.
Ditcheva, currently recovering from a broken hand that forced her withdrawal from PFL Dubai in February, hopes to return in April or May. The 27-year-old captured the 2024 PFL flyweight tournament championship and remains undefeated at 15-0.
Former UFC fighter turned analyst Din Thomas thinks the UFC should trade off Magomed Ankalaev for PFL star Dakota Ditcheva.
Trades between MMA organizations are extremely rare. In fact, it’s only happened once. In October 2018, the UFC sent former flyweight king Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Akren. Now, Thomas thinks it’s time for the the UFC to initiate another trade, this time sending it’s reigning light heavyweight champion over to Donn Davis and Co. in exchange for their British bombshell.
Din Thomas thinks UFC should trade Magomed Ankalaev for PFL’s Dakota Ditcheva pic.twitter.com/NgFLZDwVTl
“We gotta understand that MMA is a star-driven sport,” Thomas said on The Casuals MMA podcast back in February. “We have a star problem in the UFC. [PFL] got Dakota Ditcheva, who’s a star. I’m like, ‘Yo, please listen, if you guys like MMA, do this for MMA. Trade her to the UFC, you know she belongs in the UFC.’ Just trade, listen, get rid of Ankalaev in the UFC, trade her for Ankalaev, we don’t need Ankalaev, you know what I’m saying.”
Is Dakota Ditcheva the Next Big Thing in Women’s MMA?
Meanwhile, Ditcheva continues to take the world MMA world by storm despite having a limited number of viable opponents to contend with under the PFL banner. After handily defeating Taila Santos—who once took Valentina Shevchenko to the limit—to win the 2024 PFL flyweight tournament, Ditcheva scored a decisive decision victory over Sumiko Inaba during the promotion’s inaugural event in Cape Town, South Africa.
Given her 15-0 record and 80% finish rate inside the Smart Cage, it’s clear that Ditcheva is ready for the next level of competition—something she’s unlikely to get in the PFL.
As for Ankalaev, he’ll put his gold up for grabs on October 4 when he runs it back with ‘Poatan’ at UFC 320 in Las Vegas. Ankalaev bested Pereira at UFC 313 after the Brazilian bruiser delivered an uncharacteristically lackluster performance in their light heavyweight headliner.
Ankalaev is currently trending as a 2-to-1 favorite to retain his title.
Dakota Ditcheva would get it done over Valentina Shevchenko if the two were to fight now, according to a former UFC title challenger. This was expressed by Dan Hardy who was asked about how a hypothetical fight would play out between the undefeated PFL standout and the UFC flyweight champion.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Hardy said [via Fighters Only],
“I would put my money on her [Ditcheva] against Valentina right now. That’s with all due respect to Valentina, who I’ve held in high regard for a long time. The thing that Valentina always made challenging about my job when I was doing Inside the Octagon for the UFC was there’s no highlight reel moments in her fights really. Very, very rarely—and that’s because she completely dominates people with just this steady pace. The kind of person that would break that style of fighting is someone that attacks ferociously.”
“Dakota’s got the height and reach, the power, she’s got the viciousness, and the reality is American Top Team is probably one of the toughest mats, especially for a female fighter. I’ve got to expect her to at least hold her own on the ground with Valentina, if not be able to defend the takedowns. I think Dakota beats anybody right now in her weight class. I think pound-for-pound, if she’s not top three, then I’m crazy. I think she has a damn good chance against anybody and even going up to bantamweight and fighting there and having a lot of success there as well.”
Image: PFL MMA
Dakota Ditcheva and her pro MMA resume so far
Dakota Ditcheva boasts a 15-0 overall record in professional mixed martial arts. The surging star out of the United Kingdom has captured tournament titles in both the PFL Europe and main stage PFL circuits.
Ditcheva has become one of the big grassroots stars in the promotion and since debuting with that promotion in 2022, has become one of the first fighters you think of who compete inside the Smart Cage.
PFL sensation Dakota Ditcheva has made it clear that she’d be interested in a superfight against Valentina Shevchenko.
As we know, Dakota Ditcheva is easily one of the most exciting fighters in women’s mixed martial arts right now and that’s been the case for quite some time. She continues to thrive under the PFL umbrella and while many want to see her make the switch over to the UFC, she’s decided to continue plying her trade with the PFL, recently signing a new deal with the promotion.
Of course, given her flyweight success, Dakota Ditcheva has often been linked with an eventual superfight against the one and only Valentina Shevchenko. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be happening anytime soon, but the masses still want to see it.
In a recent interview, Dakota Ditcheva spoke about the possibility of that bout coming to fruition.
Dakota Ditcheva looks ahead to possible superfight
“I don’t know if UFC super-fight is in my immediate future, but if PFL champ versus UFC champ happens, I’m happy to do it. That would be a serious, history-making fight.”
Ditcheva has many years ahead of her in MMA as she celebrates her 27th birthday today. As far as the UFC is concerned, you’d have to imagine they’ll be keeping a close eye on her – and with so much potential clearly yet to be brought to the forefront, we can’t imagine they’ll turn their nose up at signing her one day.
Will Valentina still be at the top? We’ll have to wait and see.
UFC commentator Laura Sanko wants to see Dakota Ditcheva join the promotion sooner rather than later.
As we know, Dakota Ditcheva is one of the biggest stars in women’s mixed martial arts today. That’s saying something, too, given that she has yet to step foot into the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s octagon.
Instead, Dakota Ditcheva has been making a name for herself in the PFL. It’s all been smooth sailing so far and as we look ahead to the future, it certainly seems as if she’s gearing up to become the new face of the promotion – if she isn’t already.
In a recent video, the aforementioned Laura Sanko made it known that she’s very interested in seeing Dakota Ditcheva make the switch over to the UFC.
Laura Sanko wants Dakota Ditcheva in UFC
“For me, it’s Dakota Ditcheva. What a fighter. Talk about a women’s division needing a superstar… She is a violent Cinderella. Bring her to the UFC as soon as you possibly can.”
Ditcheva is set to turn 27 years of age tomorrow and you’d think that she would be interested in making her way over to the UFC at this point in her career. Alas, perhaps she wants the best deal possible, and would rather make as much money and build as much hype as she can with the PFL before the jump.
Either way, Dakota has the potential to do some incredible things in the sport, and it’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out (sorry Dana).
It appears Dakota Ditcheva’s future will remain within the PFL.
Perhaps the newest face of the PFL, Ditcheva confirmed her re-signing with the PFL following her victory over Sumiko Inaba in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series 2 (one of two cards that made up PFL Cape Town).
The deal is apparently for multiple years, according to Ditcheva.
“I have just re-signed with PFL,” Ditcheva announced in her post-fight interview. “We’ve come to a great agreement, and I’m going to look forward to the next few years together.”
Dakota Ditcheva To Remain With PFL
Ditcheva seems to have become perhaps the face of the PFL brand following her move to the global season from PFL Europe in 2024 — occuring around the same time that Kayla Harrison jumped from the PFL to the UFC.
Ditcheva became the inaugural PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion in 2023 and then made her way through the likes of Jena Bishop and Taila Santos to become the PFL women’s flyweight champion in 2024.
Ditcheva returned to the cage for the first time since her title win at PFL Cape Town, defeating Inaba. Ditcheva, however, appeared to break her hand during the contest, and the extent of time she will miss is unknown as of press time.
Dakota Ditcheva put on a dominant display over Sumiko Inaba, having a striking clinic in a one-sided decision victory in the co-main event of PFL Champions Series 2 — as part of PFL Cape Town.
Ditcheva’s striking was on display from the opening minute, using clinch control and sharp knees to repeatedly halt the consistent pressure of Inaba. Inaba had success with flurries and body shots, but Ditcheva’s elbows and knees were the key to success here.
Ditcheva picked up the pace more in the second round, rocking Inaba with a knee and overwhelming her with clinch work and combinations, controlling every aspect of the fight. Ditcheva’s full control stretched into the third, sweeping the scorecards for a strong victory.
Dakota Ditcheva Takes One-Sided Win Over Sumiko Inaba At PFL Cape Town
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Dakota Ditcheva could beat all the girls in the UFC #PFLcapetown
Feels like Dakota Ditcheva is very clearly the best women's fighter on the planet right now and we all just kinda have to ignore it because shes in PFL
I don't understand what the @PFLMMA is doing with Dakota Ditcheva. she's fighting fights but not defending a belt in 5 round fights, not working her way to another belt? #PFLCapeTown
Ditcheva won the inaugural PFL Europe women’s flyweight title in 2023 before running through Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, Jena Bishop and Taila Santos to become the PFL women’s flyweight title in 2024. This was her first fight since winning the global season title.
Inaba entered tonight with two straight wins and an 8-1 record. Coming over to PFL from its purchase of Bellator, Inaba scored a split decision over Saray Orozco and a finish of Mackenzie Stiller last year.
PFL star Dakota Ditcheva has praised teammate Kayla Harrison for both her work ethic and the way in which she was able to defeat Julianna Pena to capture the UFC women’s bantamweight championship.
Kayla Harrison is one of the greatest female fighters of all time and that much goes without saying. In addition to her remarkable Olympic success, she’s also had a phenomenal career in mixed martial arts – and some would argue she’s still got a lot left in the tank.
As she prepares to battle Amanda Nunes in a superfight at some point in the future, Kayla Harrison has been receiving a great deal of praise from the MMA community for what she’s accomplished over the years. That includes Dakota Ditcheva, one of PFL’s biggest stars, who had the following to say about her teammate recently.
Dakota Ditcheva praises Kayla Harrison’s success
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I’ve actually got goosebumps when you think about it,” Ditcheva told MMA Fighting. “Like her journey through MMA, or just through martial arts sport has been crazy.
“After she won out there was loads of things online, I was just reading it all because, for me, a journey like that — Olympic gold medalist, comes to PFL, cleans everyone out there. Goes to UFC, cleans everyone out there. Within two or three fights, she’s got the UFC belt. That journey that she’s been on is absolutely crazy.”
“The weight cuts, the dedication she’s got to training, when she’s saying in these interviews, she’s not missed a day running or biking, that girl is in the gym every morning, every afternoon, and between them sessions, she’s walking, she’s running,” Ditcheva explained. “She’s the hardest worker in that gym.
“So to have someone like that around us and set such an example like that for us girls in the gym is like second to none. That’s why we’re the best, best gym in the world because we’ve got examples like that around us. How can we not be inspired and want to keep working hard when we see people like Kayla Harrison doing that?”
PFL standout Dakota Ditcheva was left spooked after an unexpected encounter with a fan.
Ditcheva’s star has grown no end in recent times. After establishing herself as one to watch with success in the PFL Europe regional expansion in 2023, “Dangerous” proved herself on the global stage.
With that, Ditcheva has significantly grown her fanbase. But one supporter recently showed too much enthusiasm.
During a video uploaded to her YouTube channel late last month, Ditcheva detailed her time in Dubai for the PFL Champions Series event in January. At one point, the British fighter spoke to the camera and described an interaction with a fan at the hotel she was staying at.
The individual, who outlined that he’d been “looking” for her, discovered Ditcheva’s location from a post on her Instagram Story that featured the hotel’s branding.
“On the way back from breakfast, then somebody had seen that I was in this hotel on Instagram,” Ditcheva said. “It’s my fault because I put a photo on of that board, the chocolate board that they brought to my room. I put it on my Instagram Story…I don’t normally share my location until I’ve gone.”
Despite the fan being friendly, Ditcheva admitted the experience had still ‘freaked her out’.
“Stupidly, I did that and I just got approached on the way back from breakfast, which was fine, I love for you guys to come up and say hi and things like that, but when I’m on my own, it freaks me out a little bit,” Ditcheva continued. “He said he’d seen me on Instagram and he’d been DM-ing me and was basically looking for me. He was dead excited to see me, which is really nice and he was a really nice guy, but it does freak me out a little.
“It’s always lovely to meet you guys, but when I’m on my own and I haven’t got my brother or my mum with me, it does just scare me a little bit,” she concluded.
Ditcheva’s incident comes soon after tennis star Emma Raducanu’s harrowing stalking experience. The 2021 US Open champion was said to have been followed across four countries by a man whose behavior was described as being ‘fixated’ on Raducanu.
The individual was handed a restraining order after the British tennis player spotted him in the crowd at a recent championship in Dubai.
While she currently doesn’t have a fight in the calendar, there’s seemingly something major in store for 2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion Dakota Ditcheva.
Ditcheva has marked one of the breakout names across recent years. After announcing herself as a prospect under the PFL banner, the British standout has won gold in back-to-back campaigns.
Following title glory in the promotion’s first regional expansion, PFL Europe, Ditcheva backed up her confidence and promise to reach the top in MMA by winning the inaugural 125-pound season on the global stage in 2024.
Since then, there’s been some uncertainty over what’s to come for Ditcheva, with many in the fanbase wishing for her to compete on the sport’s biggest stage, the UFC.
Ditcheva herself was quick to downplay another season stint as a possibility prior to the announcement that the PFL would be dropping the long-debated format in 2025.
During an interview with talkSPORT MMA, PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis looked to shed some light on Ditcheva’s status.
Though he didn’t provide an exact assignment, he laid out what he told the rising star when they sat down while in Dubai for this past weekend’s Champions Series event.
“We had dinner with Dakota the other night. Dakota’s here tonight as our guest,” Davis said. “We simply said to Dakota, ‘Seven of 10 major MMA organizations named you Fighter of the Year. Not Rookie of the Year, not Rising Star of the Year, Fighter of the Year. We want you to be the number one female star on the planet. And we’re going to get behind you to do that. So together, let’s outline a plan, so that that’s achieved.’
“That takes personality, that takes drive, that takes being the best fighter and it takes the company behind you,” Davis continued. “Let’s put all four of those together and do it. That’s what you’re going to see from Dakota.”
2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion Dakota Ditcheva sees one area in which her current promotion firmly surpasses the mixed martial arts leader.
The Professional Fighters League and its higher-ups like founder Donn Davis have long outlined its intentions to reach “co-leader” status in MMA. But while the acquisition of rival promotion Bellator MMA appeared to mark a potential step toward that, 2024 didn’t exactly go to plan.
The year ended with multiple Bellator fighters, including champions Patrício “Pitbull” Freire” and Patchy Mix, publicly calling out the PFL over canceled fights and events, even requesting their releases.
With that, plenty remain skeptical about the organization’s long-term future, let alone ability to rival the UFC. But that doesn’t mean the PFL hasn’t excelled in some areas — namely, Europe.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Dakota Ditcheva — one of the biggest names to emerge from the promotion’s first regional expansion, PFL Europe — lauded her employer for placing focus on discovering the next generation of top MMA fighters in the continent.
“One thing I will say about that, people were commenting all the time, ‘UFC missed out on PFL [Europe],’ and what PFL did right was they went to Europe and picked up that young talent, and that’s how they ended up with me,” Ditcheva said. “They’ve kind of gone out of that top-level zone, picked up the young talent, and now look what they’re getting.
“I do think they’re very clever with it and think they’ll come up with something cool (next),” Ditcheva concluded.
After establishing herself as one to watch with a few wins under the PFL banner, Ditcheva — MMA News’ Female Fighter of the Year for 2024 — competed as part of the inaugural PFL Europe season. She breezed through the competition en route to the women’s flyweight title in 2023.
That secured her spot in the very first PFL Global 125-pound season this year, placing her on a roster that included the likes of Taila Santos, Liz Carmouche, and Juliana Velasquez. “Dangerous” proved that the hype behind her name is warranted, recording three finishes to reach the final before obliterating Santos for the belt and $1 million prize money.
Many have since expressed a desire to see Ditcheva under the UFC banner, especially with her next step in the PFL unknown. The Brit has already suggested that a return to the season format wouldn’t make sense, instead pitching herself as part of the PFL Super Fights events.
Given the difficult many have seemingly had securing fights, it remains to be seen whether such a switch would provide the level of activity that the undefeated 26-year-old is after.
But as the organization battles issues away from the cage, the action inside it has still often delivered, with 2024 seeing some of the promotion’s most brutal finishes to date.
And the PFL recently counted down the top 15 in a YouTube video, featuring Francis Ngannou’s rapid knockout of Renan Ferreira in his MMA return and Dakota Ditcheva’s punishing attack on Taila Santos’ body in their flyweight title clash.
2025 will no doubt see plenty more memorable finishes added to the PFL’s highlight packages, with the first opportunity for additions coming on Jan. 25 in Dubai.
Dakota Ditcheva was one of the stand out stars of 2024, as seen in MMA News’ end of year awards. The female fighter of the year achieved incredible things in the PFL to prove once and for all that she is the real deal.
Rousey’s personality and success inside the Octagon brought a new spotlight to the female side of the sport as she transcended MMA to become a mainstream sports star. Given Ditcheva’s star quality and proven capabilities inside the cage, the Brit could be heading the same way.
In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, PFL commentator Dan Hardy spoke about what he believes is the key difference between Ditcheva and “Rowdy”. “The Outlaw” thinks that whilst both women have specialist skill sets to some degree, the reigning PFL flyweight champion has shown that she can do everything when she needs to.
“Ronda was a pioneer in martial arts, women’s martial arts in particular, but the reason why she was so effective is because she was particularly overwhelming in one range, right? Like, she came in, she grabbed a hold of somebody, threw them to the floor, and wrenched their arm off. Whereas Dakota, over the last two years, has also shown that she’s a fully well-rounded MMA fighter.”
Her performance in the finals where she dismantled Taila Santos before stopping her in the second round was proof of this. Rousey was able to run right through the opposition that was put in front of her as well until all of a sudden, the sport had moved on. For Ditcheva, she has proven this year that she’s far more well-rounded than the former face of women’s MMA.
“I think that’s another thing that gives people a lot of confidence that she could compete with anyone in the world. She can grapple and stay safe if she hits the floor with a world-class jiu-jitsu player. And her takedown defense coupled with those Muay Thai knees could put anybody away. And she’s also got the frame that’s perfect for this weight class. I could make the argument right now that she could beat anybody in this weight class on the planet.”
The major MMA promotions have wrapped up their schedules for 2024, so it’s time to crown this year’s MMA News award winners.
Getting the ball rolling will be the Female Fighter of the Year, as we determine which woman among the UFC, PFL, and ONE Championship rosters stood out from the rest in 2024.
Voting Panel:
Harvey Leonard, Kyle Dimond, Andrew Starc, Thomas Albano, Ryan Jarrell, Andrew Ravens
Honorable Mentions:
8. Zhang Weili – UFC strawweight champion
7. Natália Silva – UFC flyweight contender
6. Virna Jandiroba – UFC strawweight contender
Now, on to the five female fighters who received the most votes for this year’s award, including the 2024 winner.
5. Jasmine Jasudavicius – UFC Flyweight Contender
2024 marked flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius’ third calendar year competing under the UFC banner, and it was by far her best.
After going 1-1 in 2022 and 2-1 in 2023, the Canadian standout enjoyed an unbeaten 3-0 year in the Octagon. After initially bouncing back from her setback against Tracy Cortez by submitting Priscila Cachoeira on home soil this past January, the 35-year-old outpointed highly regarded debutant Fatima Kline in Colorado before getting another finish in front of her compatriots at the expense of Ariane Lipski da Silva.
Having risen to #12 in the rankings with three straight wins, two of which earned her Performance of the Night bonuses, Jasudavicius has earned fifth place in this year’s MMA News award.
MMA legend Cris Cyborg marks one of two fighters to crack the top five with just one fight in 2024.
The former UFC featherweight queen and current Bellator champion spent much of this year expressing discontent at her struggle to secure a debut in the PFL. But that finally came to fruition at the Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in October, where she competed for the inaugural PFL Super Fights featherweight belt against the promotion’s first and only two-weight title winner, Larissa Pacheco.
The 39-year-old showed that she’s got plenty left in the tank, emerging victorious from a brutal five-round battle. In doing so, Cyborg ended Pacheco’s 10-fight win streak, which included a victory over Kayla Harrison and consecutive PFL season triumphs at 155 and 145 pounds.
Image: Jose Peñuela/PFL MMA
3. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC Flyweight Champion
Like Cyborg, another all-time MMA great in Valentina Shevchenko also delivered in a big way with her sole appearance in the cage this year.
After a defeat and draw against Alexa Grasso in 2023, many had written off “Bullet’s” chances of returning to the flyweight throne when she and the Mexican completed their trilogy at Noche UFC inside the Sphere this past September. But more than just proving her detractors wrong, Shevchenko utterly dominated Grasso across five rounds to begin a second reign at 125 pounds.
The top UFC fighter in the 2024 award is Kayla Harrison, whose debut year on MMA’s biggest stage couldn’t have gone much better.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo swapped the PFL for the UFC, arriving in the Octagon for the first time at the milestone UFC 300 event this past April. The 2019 and 2021 PFL title winner was tasked with beating Holly Holm if she was to immediately stake her claim for a bantamweight title shot.
More than just beat the former champion, Harrison ran through her en route to finding the submission finish in round two. And after missing out on the next opportunity at the gold, the Ohio native extended her UFC record to 2-0 by outpointing another top-five contender in Ketlen Vieira.
The rise of Dakota Ditcheva has been quite something, and 2024 saw her break through on the global stage.
After going 3-0 in 2023 to achieve regional title glory under the PFL Europe banner, the British striking specialist set her sights on emerging victorious from the PFL’s inaugural flyweight season. With the likes of Liz Carmouche and Taila Santos on the roster, the year promised to provide answers to those who questioned Ditcheva based on her level of competition.
Through the regular season and semifinal, “Dangerous” dispatched Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop with first-round finishes. Her journey to the championship final in Riyadh last month only boosted the hype — but it increased dramatically when she entered the cage on Nov. 29.
To secure gold and $1 million in prize money, Ditcheva had to get the better of Santos, a longtime top-five contender in the UFC whom many believe deserved the nod over Shevchenko in their 2022 title fight. The undefeated 26-year-old passed the test with flying colors, dominating the Brazilian before blitzing her with body shots in round two for the finish.
With a 4-0 year to capture another PFL title and establish herself as one of the world’s best in MMA at 125 pounds, top spot was only ever going to “Dangerous” Dakota Ditcheva in 2024.
2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion Dakota Ditcheva was pleased to teach Taila Santos a lesson in not underestimating opponents.
Ditcheva recorded the biggest win of her blossoming career to date in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month when she co-headlined this year’s PFL World Championship.
The Brit figured in one of six title fights on the main card at King Saud University — and arguably the most highly anticipated — after winning gold in PFL Europe last year and announcing herself on the global roster with three knockouts en route to her toughest test to date.
Ditcheva’s detractors have long used competition level as a means by which to take away from her unbeaten run. But that is no longer viable after she dominated Santos, a former top UFC contender whom many believed did enough to defeat Valentina Shevchenko two years ago.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Ditcheva looked back on her successful trip to the Middle East, which saw her exit the SmartCage on Nov. 19 with gold wrapped around her waist and $1 million in prize money secured.
The 26-year-old acknowledged Santos’ dismissive pre-fight remarks inside the cage during her celebration and interview. And reflecting on them once again, Ditcheva suggested the experienced Brazilian made the surprising and fatal mistake of failing to “respect” the threat she was facing.
“I think honestly she probably underestimated me a little bit,” Ditcheva said. “Like, she has been saying through the whole tournament, not just this fight, from the very beginning that I’m just a Barbie, she’s a different level. I genuinely don’t think she respected me at all and where me, I respected every girl in this tournament, whether they’ve been in the UFC or not.
“I think genuinely she got shocked when I hit her. As soon as I hit with the first inside leg kick, I saw her face change, and then every shot I hit her with, she was just like making noises like it was hurting,” Ditcheva continued. “I think she probably underestimated me, which is a silly move to do and something I’m surprised she did at her level.”
Suffice to say, the chances of Ditcheva’s future opponents making the same mistake have no doubt slimmed after the manner with which she dispatched Santos at the PFL World Championship.
After capturing the PFL’s inaugural women’s flyweight title as part of the global roster last week, Dakota Ditcheva isn’t sure about shooting for back-to-back belts in 2025.
Ditcheva continued to prove that her high confidence is more than well placed this past weekend, when she figured in perhaps the most highly anticipated matchup at the 2024 PFL World Championship.
Following a title win as part of the promotional’s regional PFL Europe expansion last year, “Dangerous” got her pursuit of global glory off to a strong start with first-round knockouts of Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett in the regular season.
And after sending Jena Bishop to the same fate in the semifinal, Ditcheva booked a date with her toughest opponent to date, a former UFC title challenger in Taila Santos whom many believe did enough to deserve a victory over Valentina Shevchenko back in 2022.
Having had plenty doubt her potential based on a perceived lack of legitimate competition, Ditcheva proved her detractors wrong and then some. She’s now being hailed as among the best 125-pound fighters in the world.
Her next step, though, is unclear.
During an interview with Adam Catterall for talkSPORT MMA, Ditcheva assessed what could await her in 2025, sharing the same sentiment as many in the fanbase that another stint in the PFL’s season format may not make sense for her.
Having beaten the woman widely seen as the division’s best in Santos, Ditcheva appears hesitant to shoot for consecutive titles and is instead pondering a push for super fights in 2025.
“I don’t know, we haven’t spoke about it too much with PFL,” Ditcheva said. “I think it’s difficult because for me, I just beat the top girl that there is out there. So, if you put me back in the tournament, I’m gonna get more stick for fighting the same girls and people that are lower level.
“So, does it make sense to do that with someone that’s like, I feel like I bring in a lot of attention and stuff like that, so I feel maybe a super fight might suit a little bit better, but then, is anyone gonna watch the season without me in it? I don’t know,” Ditcheva continued. “We’ll see what happens.”
Ditcheva’s situation has proven difficult for fighters in the past. Two-time PFL title winner Kayla Harrison was notably left sidelined for much of 2023 after choosing against competing in the promotion’s first women’s featherweight season.
“Dangerous” will be hoping to avoid any such issues next year. Given her rising stardom in the PFL, it stands to reason that the higher-ups will want her back in the SmartCage as soon as possible.
The 2024 PFL World Championship took place on Friday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!
This week saw the Professional Fighters League back in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to crown its title winners for this year — both PFL Global and PFL MENA — following the conclusion of the regular season and semifinals.
After a set of showcase bouts featuring the likes of Costello van Steenis, Slim Trabelsi, and Mansour Barnaoui, four inaugural kings were crowned as part of the promotion’s Middle East and North Africa expansion.
The main card followed, with six fighters on the global roster walking away with championship gold and $1 million in prize money.
Brendan Loughnane and Impa Kasanganay both failed in their bid to experience that for the second time, with the featherweight suffering a lopsided five-round loss to Timur Khizriev in the main event and the light heavyweight standout falling victim to Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov’s power in under a minute.
Perhaps the most intriguing clash on the lineup came in the co-headliner, meanwhile, as the undefeated Dakota Ditcheva faced the toughest test of her blossoming career thus far. She ultimately followed her PFL Europe success last year with global glory, getting the better of former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in shockingly dominant fashion.
Mohsen "The Golden Boy" Mohammadseifi improves to 7-2-0, Wins Lightweight Gold, and earns himself $100,000!#PFLWorldChampionship LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ MAIN CARD: 1PM ET pic.twitter.com/iI0hzZUQku
Gadzhi Rabadanov stops Brent Primus in the third round and becomes the new PFL Lightweight Champion and takes $1 million back to Dagestan!#PFLWorldChampionship LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/rP4fKpVlx0
Dakota Ditcheva passed the toughest test of her career to date with flying colors to become the 2024 PFL flyweight champion, stopping Taila Santos in the second round.
Many expected the former UFC title challenger to be a threat to the undefeated star in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the fight was one-way traffic from start to finish.
It was clear right from the get-go that there was no comparison between them on the feet, with Ditcheva’s excellent striking causing damage to multiple targets and making her opponent bite on all of her feints.
The biggest takeaway in this fight was that when Santos was able to close the distance in order to test the Brit’s grappling, “Dangerous” was able to defend takedowns, keep herself safe, and get back to striking. She even took the Brazilian veteran down at one point before standing back up.
Santos looked to be hanging on at the end of the first round, and in the second, the champion picked up where she left off. After the damage started to add up, she put the stamp on her most impressive display to date by becoming the first woman to finish Santos.
Ditcheva didn’t just become the champion and win $1 million in this fight, she proved herself to be a legitimate world class competitor at flyweight. PFL strapped the rocket to the 25-year old, and it has more than paid off.
Fight fans reacted to her undeniable performance via social media:
@danawhite boss, break the bank and sign Dakota Ditcheva PLEASE. She is the current best WMMA fighter in the world and will add excitement to the women’s world in the UFC PLEASE
So yeah, Dakota Ditcheva is a WORLD BEATER. So violent, so vicious, so fast, intelligent and calculated. The way she reads the game and mixes up her striking and converts with such venom is gorgeous. What a win for one of the best in the world. #PFLWorldChampionshipshttps://t.co/c8qV92W5CB
At the 2024 PFL Championships this Friday in Riyadh, Dakota Ditcheva faces her toughest test to date as the undefeated striker takes on Taila Santos. For all of the hype surrounding the British striker, there has been a lot of doubts as well with some saying that she hasn’t been tested at the top level yet.
With every step-up in the quality of her opponents, the former PFL Europe champion has blasted through them also, winning all three of her fights this season via a knockout in the first round. Santos, however, is an opponent that fight fans know is a legitimate threat to her.
The former UFC fighter competed in one of the most controversial bouts in recent years when at UFC 275 she fought to a split decision against Valentina Shevchenko with many believing that she did enough to secure the victory. PFL commentator Dan Hardy believes that with a strong showing against Santos, Ditcheva can prove that she isn’t just the best flyweight in the PFL, she’s the best in the world.
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Hardy said that Santos is a tough test for Ditcheva but she’s also a measuring stick for the undefeated star to use.
“I mean I certainly think so and the fact that Santos has been the distance with Shevchenko is going to make it easier for the fans to see the difference in Dakota’s skills compared to Shevchenko.”
After comparing the point fighting style of Shevchenko to the lethal striking of Ditcheva, Hardy said if she’s able to beat Santos and look impressive whilst doing it, there can be no more doubting her.
“If Dakota’s got enough skills in her game to stuff takedowns or to get back to her feet or to defend any submissions that she finds herself in in this fight coming up, if she proves that she’s got enough grappling for people to go, ‘You know what, I think that would work against Shevchenko as well’, then I don’t really think there’s much of a question around Dakota’s striking compared to Shevchenko.”
In the main event. England’s Brendan Loughnane will shoot for his second title in the SmartCage, having previously emerged with gold in his possession at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
To repeat that feat, he must upset the odds to hand 17-0 Russian Timur Khizriev his first professional defeat in mixed martial arts.
Just a kid from Manchester following his dreams 🏴
A second PFL Featherweight World Title is on the horizon for @BrendanMMA 🏆
Perhaps the most intriguing matchup comes in the co-headliner as another UK standout challenges for season glory. Striking specialist Dakota Ditcheva will get her toughest test to date, with former UFC title challenger Taila Santos marking the latest looking to take her ‘0’ inside the cage.
2024 PFL World Championship Weigh-In Results
PFL World Championship Card (3 PM ET, ESPN+):
Featherweight Championship: Brendan Loughnane (144.8lbs) vs. Timur Khizriev (144.7lbs)
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva (124.9lbs) vs. Taila Santos (125lbs)
Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay (204.6lbs) vs. Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (204.1lbs)
Welterweight: Championship: Magomed Umalatov (168.8lbs) vs. Shamil Musaev (169.8lbs)
Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (154.3lbs) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (155lbs)
Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov (245.8lbs) vs. Oleg Popov (249.5lbs)
PFL MENA Championship Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):
MENA Featherweight Championship: Maraoune Bellagouit (144.8lbs) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (144.4lbs)
MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (169.6lbs) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (170lbs)
Amateur Women’s Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif (105.4lbs) vs. Lilia Osmani (108.3lbs)**
MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (134lbs) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (134.8lbs)
MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (154.6lbs) vs. Georges Eid (155lbs)
Showcase Fight Card (7:15 AM ET, ESPN+):
Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui (153.6lbs) vs. Alfie Davis (155.7lbs)
Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi (243.5lbs) vs. Abraham Bably (251.8lbs)
Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo (152lbs)* vs. Jeremy Kennedy
Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj (145.9lbs) vs. Jose Perez (145lbs)
Middleweight: Costello van Steenis (185.9lbs) vs. Joao Dantas (185lbs)
*Jesus Pinedo missed the featherweight limit by 6 pounds, replaced by Gabriel Braga
**Lilia Osmani missed the atomweight limit by 2.3 pounds, fight to proceed at catchweight of 109 pounds
PFL flyweight finalist Dakota Ditcheva isn’t one bit bothered about what her fighting peers say about her rise, believing it to be nothing but jealousy.
Ditcheva established herself as one of the world’s top 125-pound prospects in her first outings under the PFL banner, later securing her spot in the inaugural global flyweight season by winning PFL Europe gold in 2023.
And the British standout has kept her ‘0’ intact through three bouts this year to date, stopping Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop by way of first-round knockouts to carve a violent path to this week’s PFL World Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The promotion has been accused of giving “Dangerous” favorable matchups to ensure qualification into the postseason, even by her fellow fighters. But all debate over her level of competition will be disregarded should she win $1 million with a victory over the highly thought of Taila Santos on Friday.
And regardless of what others in the sport may say, Ditcheva is focused on herself.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Ditcheva discussed the negative takes some fighters have shared regarding her budding career.
The undefeated striking specialist put their perspectives down to jealousy.
“There is definitely a little bit of jealousy I think and a bit of frustration from a few fighters,” Ditcheva said. “I get it…it’s a business. We have to be able to sell these fights in order to get paid. If you want to get paid, do something. Make your fights exciting or get on social media and make an effort. You have to.
“The people that were mad at these fighters, certain fighters making money, but if you look at the ones making money, it’s the personalities in the sport. Or the fighters that are doing something different,” Ditcheva continued. “I don’t know why anybody is getting frustrated just with me. Because I’m just like, getting what I can out of my years in this sport and I feel like that would be the clever thing to do.”
“Dangerous” will look to dismiss the competition narrative as a legitimate way for others to detract from her accomplishments this weekend, when she squares off with a woman who many believe deserved to get the nod over Valentina Shevchenko in their 2021 UFC title fight.
At the lengthy event, plenty of gold will be handed out as the latest global champions and the inaugural MENA kingpins are crowned following the conclusion of this year’s regular seasons.
And the headlining spots have gone to a pair of British standouts, with 2022 featherweight title winner Brendan Loughnane shooting for two-time status in the main event opposite Timur Khizriev. Before that comes a matchup long pointed to as one of the most intriguing in the promotion, as last year’s PFL Europe flyweight queen Dakota Ditcheva meets former UFC title challenger Taila Santos.
Also competing for championships will be the likes of Impa Kasnaganay, Brent Primus, and Denis Goltsov, while notable names like Mansour Bernaoui, Slim Trabelsi, Jesus Pinedo and Costello van Steenis will appear in showcase bouts.
2024 PFL World Championship Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for this year’s PFL World Championship (as of 11/27), courtesy of DraftKings.
PFL World Championship Card (3 PM ET, ESPN+):
Featherweight Championship: Brendan Loughnane (+260) vs. Timur Khizriev (-325)
Women’s Flyweight Championship: Dakota Ditcheva (-380) vs. Taila Santos (+300)
Light Heavyweight Championship: Impa Kasanganay (-180) vs. Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov (+150)
Welterweight: Championship: Magomed Umalatov (+220) vs. Shamil Musaev (-270)
Lightweight Championship: Brent Primus (+410) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (-550)
Heavyweight Championship: Denis Goltsov (+110) vs. Oleg Popov (-130)
PFL MENA Championship Card (9:30 AM ET, ESPN+):
MENA Featherweight Championship: Abdelrahman Alhyasat (-115) vs. Abdullah Al-Qahtani (-105)
MENA Welterweight Championship: Mohammad Alaqraa (-410) vs. Omar El Dafrawy (+320)
MENA Bantamweight Championship: Ali Taleb (-290) vs. Rachid El Hazoume (+235)
MENA Lightweight Championship: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (-218) vs. Georges Eid (+180)
Showcase Fight Card (7:15 AM ET, ESPN+):
Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui (-298) vs. Alfie Davis (+240)
Heavyweight: Slim Trabelsi (-148) vs. Abraham Bably (+124)
Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo (-290) vs. Jeremy Kennedy (+235)
Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj (-142) vs. Jose Perez (+120)
Middleweight: Costello van Steenis (-625) vs. Joao Dantas (+455)
The fighters set to compete for gold at this year’s PFL World Championship stood toe to toe days out from their title showdowns in the Middle East.
After completing its main and regional seasons, it’s championship time for the Professional Fighters League. Before the sophomore PFL Europe champions are crowned next month, the global and MENA kings — as well as one queen — will be decided.
A long lineup featuring plenty of notable names is set for the 2024 PFL World Championship this Friday, Nov. 29 at the King Saud University (KSU) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Following a series of showcase fights and four MENA finals, six global champions will emerge on the main card, where the headline spots have gone to a pair of UK standouts in 2022 PFL featherweight king Brendan Loughnane and last year’s PFL Europe flyweight champ Dakota Ditcheva, who are slated to collide with Timur Khizriev at featherweight and Taila Santos, respectively.
Ahead of the main and co-main events, those fighters faced off under the observation of former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy this week, as did heavyweights Denis Goltsov and Oleg Popov, light heavyweights Impa Kasanganay and Dovletzhan Yagshimuradov, welterweights Magomed Umalatov and Shamil Musaev, and lightweights Brent Primus and Gadzhi Rabadanov.
Before those matchups play out inside the SmartCage, MENA gold will be wrapped around waists for the very first time, with the likes of Abdullah Al-Qahtani and Ali Taleb looking to end their 2024 campaigns with title glory in Riyadh.
Meanwhile, the showcase bouts that will kick off proceedings at 7:15 AM ET on ESPN+ will include the return of 2023 featherweight title winner Jesus Pinedo, the next fight for top Bellator middleweight contender Costello van Steenis, and an outing for undefeated heavyweight Slim Trabelsi.
For the first time, the PFL championship matchups will see the fighters permitted to throw elbows, which have previously been banned throughout the season and playoff format.
Ronda Rousey will always be a massive part of the history of MMA and whilst she was a pioneer in many ways, no female fighter has been able to reach that same level of star power.
There have been many athletes that come along with elements of star potential but the PFL’s Dakota Ditcheva appears to have everything.
It was clear that she had a special quality about her when talking to the media but of course, none of that matters if you can’t back it up in the cage.
Despite detractors regarding her quality of opponents, Ditcheva has beaten everyone that the PFL has put in front of her to go from winning the PFL Europe tournament last year to advancing to the finals of the regular season this year, where she will take on former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in a must-see bout.
Sean O’Connell Says Dakota Ditcheva Has Everything She Needs To Be A Huge Star
PFL commentator Sean O’Connell believes that whilst she might be doing it in a different way, he can understand the comparisons between the former face of women’s MMA and one of the most exciting contenders around right now.
He spoke in an interview with TalkSPORT about how Ditcheva has the world at her feet because she ticks every box to become a huge star.
“She has the potential to be a superstar but not for the same reasons as Ronda Rousey. Ronda was the pioneer, Ronda was the one that broke the barrier and got women into the UFC and unfortunately, that’s a milestone that can never be reached again even for someone with the star caliber of Dakota Ditcheva. You could make the argument that it’s going to be harder for Dakota to reach those heights of celebrity but she absolutely is capable of it.
“First of all, because of how incredible she is as a fighter but also she understands the media game, right. She knows exactly when to switch off that savage and become the sweetheart again. She’s got the look, she’s got the charisma and when you have that plus the ability to knock women out like she does, the sky is the limit.”
