Latest news with #DakotaDitcheva
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 21: Two top five moves follow UFC, PFL events
Two big events last week prompted changes in this week's rankings update. First, the PFL Champions Series Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, saw a shocking conclusion to its main event middleweight title fight. Johnny Eblen, the incoming champion, was up on the scorecards heading into the fifth round. However, Costello Van Steenis pulled off a last-second rear-naked choke to snatch the title away. Also on the card, Dakota Ditcheva turned in a dominant performance against Sumiko Inaba, bringing her into the top 5 in the women's flyweight division and No. 13 in the women's pound-for-pound rankings. Then, in New Orleans at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway turned in a captivating trilogy bout for the BMF title. In what was Poirier's retirement fight, Holloway managed to earn the judges' decision after going the full 25 minutes. Holloway successfully defended the BMF title, and now that he's a full-time lightweight, settles in the No. 5 spot. Poirier, who hangs up the gloves, also gives up his spot in the rankings. Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: MMA Junkie rankings, July 21: Max Holloway, Dakota Ditcheva climb
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dakota Ditcheva details terms of new PFL contract, 'frustration' over long layoff
PFL brought out all its stars for its debut in Cape Town, South Africa this past weekend, including pound-for-pound climber Dakota Ditcheva. Now 15-0 after her dominant unanimous decision win over Sumiko Inaba, the undefeated superstar had gathered dust on the shelf since her last appearance in November — the eight-month layoff represented, by far, the longest of her MMA career. Ditcheva voiced her concerns about inactivity in recent months, which ultimately led to her getting her wish and landing the Inaba fight. Along with that in-cage return came a fresh new PFL contract as well, as Ditcheva revealed after her win. Speaking this week on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Ditcheva expanded on what her immediate future with the company entails. "I am happy now in the end. It took a while," Ditcheva said. "I fought last November, so it took us a while until something was right for the both of us, but I'm happy now. I've secured my future for me and my family. I'll be there until 2027. How can I not be happy with that? I'm looking forward to hopefully building the division now and challenging someone else. If I'm not champion, I don't really care about that. I care about winning. I don't really care about the belt. So, for me, I get to challenge other girls now and I'm happy to carry on doing that, but getting what I deserve out of it at the same time." Unfortunately for Ditcheva, her long-awaited return didn't land as an overall positive. In the opening minute of the third round against Inaba, Ditcheva broke her left hand on a punch. She underwent surgery this week to repair the damage, postponing any hopes of her regaining steam and maintaining a high level of activity. Ultimately, the negotiation period took as long as it did because Ditcheva stood her ground after her breakthrough run through 2024's PFL flyweight tournament. "I just know what I deserve now, and I feel like it just took a little bit of time for them to understand how serious I was about getting what I deserve. I wasn't really going to settle, as well," she said. "It's difficult. [PFL] haven't really seen where the division's going. I want to be somewhere that's active, and when you keep me out for eight months, you're not giving me any confidence for me to be active. I'm not OK with sitting out for eight months, and I'm not OK sitting out for longer. So I had to kind of sit down and get a plan with them and know that I'm going to be fighting and I'm not going to be out for another eight months, which is now part of my contract. I have dates in there now. I've got time limits where they need to keep me active, and I feel like they understood how serious I was about good opponents and making sure I'm fighting. Once we'd come to that agreement, I felt like we'd come to a good deal in place." Ditcheva, 26, has mostly been a silent but violent force throughout her career, letting her work in the cage do much of her talking. That's still the case, however she gained so much momentum in 2024 that she became a pound-for-pound player; she currently sits at No. 5 here at Uncrowned. Having that momentum halted by the promotion's decision-making in 2025 rather than her own was far from ideal. "For sure, I felt the frustration, but I wanted to stay professional," Ditcheva said. "Obviously a lot of people went online and stuff [to complain], and everyone's different. Obviously people are sat out a lot longer than I have. I just kind of wanted to make sure I had a direction first before I started moaning publicly. I felt like it was something PFL and I could solve behind closed doors, and we have in the end. "I did do that one interview that was telling everyone I don't know what's going on, then literally like the next weekend I had a fight announced, so it kind of helped at the same time. I prefer to keep everything private and work through it that way until it's necessary." Going forward, activity shouldn't be an issue for the British knockout artist thanks to her new contract. Ditcheva shared that she has a certain number of fights guaranteed to fulfill until her contract expires in 2027. So depending on how quickly she fulfills those fights, she can become a free agent earlier. In the interim, Ditcheva will heal from her broken hand. After that, who knows what could be in store, as she teased the possibility of unexpected possibilities, including non-MMA fights. "You never know what happens in the next two years," Ditcheva said. "You could see some kind of — I don't know. People might lose their mind at the top of these promotions and make us do a crossover. You just don't know. You've got to be patient. Anything can happen in two years. Don't write me off."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dakota Ditcheva reveals sticking points in negotiations with the PFL before re-signing
Dakota Ditcheva is the last guest after her latest win at PFL Africa, and she talks about signing a new contract, being frustrated due to inactivity, looking up to Kayla Harrison, her next fight, and more.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dakota Ditcheva reveals sticking points in negotiations with the PFL before re-signing
Dakota Ditcheva is the last guest after her latest win at PFL Africa, and she talks about signing a new contract, being frustrated due to inactivity, looking up to Kayla Harrison, her next fight, and more.
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ditcheva outclasses Inaba despite hand injury
Dakota Ditcheva shrugged off an injured hand as she outclassed Sumiko Inaba to win by unanimous decision at the PFL Champions Series in South Manchester fighter never looked in danger as she pummelled Inaba throughout, before easing off in the final round after telling her corner "I've broken my hand".Inaba couldn't capitalise as Ditcheva cruised to the final bell, using kicks to keep the American at bay as she extended the unbeaten start to her career to 15."I think I injured my left hand. I think I'm gutted because I've been out for so long and then I'm injured again, but I hope you guys enjoyed it," said a teary bout was the 26-year-old's first in eight months after becoming the first British woman to win an MMA world title in had voiced her frustrations pre-fight at the eight-month lay-off but confirmed after beating Inaba she has signed a new deal with the PFL."I have just re-signed with PFL, we've come to a great agreement and I'm gonna look forward to the next few years together in front of crowds like this. You guys really set a standard," she fight card was also the first major MMA event to take place in Africa and Ditcheva paid tribute to the crowd, adding "that was the best walkout I've ever had, thank you so much". Ditcheva had been vocal about her time away from the cage in the build-up to the bout, blaming a lack of credible opponents for the cruised through the PFL flyweight tournament last year with four straight stoppages and, with many of her opponents fighting in this year's competition, saw little value in entering it was eventually paired up with Inaba based on the 34-year-old winning eight of her nine professional bouts, while Ditcheva added "there is no denying her skill level".Although Inaba showed courage and admirable durability throughout, the Briton remained a class started by pushing forward but it didn't take long for Ditcheva to initiate the clinch and take control - as she would throughout the fight - to land a number of damaging stunned Inaba in the second round with an elbow and flurry of strikes, but Inaba showed grit to take the flyweight champion to the third round for the first time in six bouts. With the crowd chanting her name, Ditcheva landed more crunching knees from the clinch before adopting a more careful approach after injuring her hand after a punch. Inaba was already too worn down to take advantage, however, as her opponent used kicks to maintain distance before showboating and cupping her ears to the crowd in the main event, Spain's Costello van Steenis beat American Johnny Eblen to win the PFL middleweight title in a remarkable Eblen seemingly heading towards a decision victory, Van Steenis secured a rear-naked choke, forcing the submission with just nine seconds of the bout remaining.
