Dakota Ditcheva arguably turned the brand new face of the PFL along with her dominant run by the ladies’s flyweight division in 2024, however that now begs the query of what comes subsequent.
Fact be informed, the 26-year-old fighter from England doesn’t know the reply to that proper now both, as she embarks on a vital yr forward for her. After claiming a championship and the $1 million prize that comes together with it, Ditcheva desires to proceed rising up the ranks at 125 kilos, however that’s going to require her to face newer and higher competitors.
That’s why she stays undecided on her plans for 2025 on the subject of rejoining the PFL season-long match or probably concentrating on one-off fights that would doubtlessly land on main occasions just like the “tremendous battle” reveals on pay-per-view.
“Clearly, the merger with Bellator is ideal,” Ditcheva informed MMA Preventing. “They undoubtedly nonetheless have a proficient group of flyweights for certain. So there’s undoubtedly nonetheless going to be just a few choices that we are able to push our heads collectively and provide you with. They will have to search out [new talent]. I feel once more, being in a match, do individuals wish to see me battle the identical ladies within the match once more? Do they just like the match format? I’m undecided.
“Wouldn’t it be higher of you to place me on a pay-per-view card and have me on an enormous battle and market it like that? They promote me loads throughout these tournaments. May that work on a pay-per-view? I’m undecided. Possibly it might should you get me an enormous battle. When you put it in Manchester, put just a few massive names on it, issues like that. There are such a lot of choices. PFL are fairly good like that.”
Ditcheva arguably already took out the largest and most established identify within the division when she completed former UFC title challenger Taila Santos because the year-end PFL card in November.
She acknowledges Bellator flyweight champion Liz Carmouche as a possible opponent, however finally, PFL has to refill these coffers with greater and higher competitors.
When two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison was in an identical place, she fought loads of new fighters through the PFL season however in the end ended up with Larissa Pacheco as her opponent in three separate finales. After already beating Pacheco twice previously, Harrison ended up struggling the one lack of her profession within the third battle.
Whereas the flyweight division is way deeper than the expertise pool at 155 kilos, the place Harrison competed within the PFL, Ditcheva is aware of the promotion has to exit and signal these fighters to make sure she doesn’t find yourself in an identical place as her American High Staff teammate.
“Kayla combating Pacheco 3 times, was it needed? I don’t know,” Ditcheva mentioned. “However then once more, the whole lot for a purpose, and look what she’s doing within the UFC now. That’s what I’m going to say about that. However for me, it’s by no means actually been like, ‘Oh, I’m going to win it a second time.’ I’ve received it now. Give me one other problem that’s going to encourage me. However then once more, should you put me in it, I’m going to take it critical. Each battle, I’ll be on it once more. I don’t know. I feel it’s troublesome as a result of I wish to be combating higher and higher each time. I need that competitors on a regular basis.
“That’s what I’ve achieved the final two years, which individuals don’t perceive. I’ve gone by the Europe season, I went up and up and up. I received that, after which I stepped up and went to the worldwide season, went up and up and up, simply beat Santos. Now I’ve obtained to maintain that motion going. I’m 26, I don’t wish to sit the place I’m or I don’t wish to go down. For me, it’s vital that me and PFL provide you with one thing to problem me and that I preserve progressing. That’s the principle factor for me.”
In fact, PFL has to know the potential that exists in somebody like Ditcheva and her significance to the group, particularly after shedding Harrison to the UFC in free company.
For Harrison, signing with the UFC wasn’t about cash as a lot because the legacy she needed to attain with hopes of turning into one of many biggest fighters of all time.
Ditcheva has comparable aspirations, however she has religion that the PFL goes to hunt out the sorts of fights that won’t solely preserve her busy however proceed to boost her inventory in comparison with each different flyweight on the planet.
“One factor I’ll say about that, individuals have been commenting on a regular basis, ‘UFC missed out on PFL [Europe],’ and what PFL did proper was they went to Europe and picked up that younger expertise, and that’s how they ended up with me,” Ditcheva mentioned. “They’ve form of gone out of that top-level zone, picked up the younger expertise, and now look what they’re getting.
“I do suppose they’re very intelligent with it and suppose they’ll provide you with one thing cool.”
