Dakota Ditcheva: Long layoff 'kind of worth it' to fight at PFL Africa debut
Dakota Ditcheva is glad to be back in action at PFL Champions Series: Africa following a period of inactivity that left her frustrated.
After being sidelined since October, Ditcheva revealed in April some of her disappointment with PFL not putting her back in the cage on a timeline she desired in an interview with MMA Junkie. Shortly thereafter, news came she would be returning to competition in the summer.
Although Ditcheva (14-0) said her comments caused some awkwardness with PFL behind the scenes, she said it ultimately worked out in her favor. She will now face Sumiko Inaba (8-1) on the July 19 card in Cape Town, the inaugural event for the PFL in South Africa.
"This sport takes you places you probably wouldn't be able to visit if it didn't have organizations like this taking it around the world," Ditcheva said. "You have to be very grateful with the opportunity you get in MMA and being able to be co-main event on a card like this to make history, it's crazy to me. I guess the wait this year was kind of worth it."
Ditcheva, 26, said her communication with the PFL brass has somewhat improved, along with her understanding of the hectic schedule the brass is pushing through to grow the brand across the globe. Whether she is part of that for the long term remains to be seen, because she said she is still "figuring a few things out" and negotiating specifics.
One thing Ditcheva is confident in, however, is more consistent activity. She said the company has obligations to honor, and if she gets past Inaba, who is a name she has to take "serious," then she will be eying the winner of the 2025 PFL World Tournament in the women's flyweight division.
"I haven't really got much direction yet," Ditcheva said. "I know they are going to keep me busy. They have to. You will see me fight again this year for sure. ... I'm hungry. How they have another champ this year when I won it last year? They should be challenging me, not all fighting each other to get another belt.
"Why am I not in that tournament defending my belt? It just makes me hungry. This fight isn't for a belt, so I'm still going to go with the same hunger, but I'm going to make a statement to everyone that the belt they're fighting for this year should be mine, not theirs."
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