Dakota Ditcheva didn’t get here by accident.
With a perfect 13-0 record including three straight knockouts to earn her way to the 2024 PFL Championships on Friday, the 25-year-old flyweight from England might just be the next big thing but that seems to rub some people the wrong way. While her rise to stardom has been fast, Ditcheva knows she put in the work and won the fights to get here even if some of her fellow athletes don’t seem all that happy for her.
“There is definitely a little bit of jealousy I think and a bit of frustration from a few fighters,” Ditcheva told MMA Fighting. “I get it. Like you said, 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.
“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.”
Perhaps one of the biggest knocks on Ditcheva during the current PFL season was the perception that she was being set up with winnable fights that would allow her to advance to the finals under easier circumstances than some of her potential opponents.
The most notable complaint came when the playoffs began with Ditcheva drawing Jena Bishop in the semifinals rather than a more experienced opponent like UFC veteran Taila Santos or Bellator champion Liz Carmouche. Instead, Santos ended up beating Carmouche in a hard-fought decision while Ditcheva demolished Bishop inside the first round.
Of course, Ditcheva has no control over the opponents she faces because that decision falls to the PFL but even as the playoffs got started, that’s all determined by point totals in the regular season.
On Friday, Ditcheva might finally be able to silence at least some of her critics thanks to the finals coming down to her and Santos but she knew there were no guarantees because that’s just how volatile a PFL season can be.
“You can’t predict it and to be honest, I wouldn’t say I was happy about it,” Ditcheva explained. “I was expecting anything. You don’t know. Jena [Bishop], she lost and still placed top four. You don’t know what’s going to happen so you’ve got to be ready for anything.
“I got a lot of stink for me facing Jena because Taila and Liz went together but that’s just the way the tournament plays out. It’s not in anyone’s hands. It worked out good because I feel like this is probably one of the best fights that could have happened for the final.”
Ditcheva also believes breaking through the language barrier when it comes to the U.S. audience makes a huge difference when it comes to connecting with fans.
“I feel really lucky that I speak English,” Ditcheva said. “You need to be able to speak English in this industry and if you don’t, you get left behind a little bit. No one wants to read subtitles. That’s another thing. I hate to say that because I feel like I’m a bit spoiled that I do speak English and it is an advantage for me but it’s just the way the business goes. \
“It’s not something I’ve chosen. It’s just the way things work. It goes over my head when people moan about it and I just carry on getting what I can out of it.”
As much attention as Ditcheva receives — both positive and negative — she’s adamant that none of it really matters if she’s not winning her fights.
She knows there’s no popularity or star power if she’s losing and thus far in her career Ditcheva has been nearly untouchable.
“No one would be bothered if I couldn’t fight, right?” Ditcheva said. “That always has to come first. As much as the cameras and the attention that I get, I still understand that my full focus has got to be the fighting because that’s what comes first.”
When it comes to the Santos fight, Ditcheva is preparing for the worst but expecting the best out of herself yet again even with the step up in competition.
Ditcheva promises she’s always ready to go to war but thus far all of her opponents have been completely outgunned. She can’t predict if Santos is going to be any tougher or not but she’s ready for every possible scenario to claim the PFL title and the $1 million prize that comes along with it.
“She’s a very good fighter,” Ditcheva said about Santos. “I respect her a lot. She was a fighter I watched in the UFC. I know how tough she is. I know she’s a dangerous person. I always thought her striking was amazing there. I know who I’m up against but at the same time, I don’t feel like I’m not showing anything she showed. I feel like it’s going to be a very good fight and I’m excited for it for sure.
“I know what I’m capable of. Definitely [it could be another finish] and that’s what I will make happen if the opportunity’s there at the time, I will make sure I take the finish 100 percent. I’m ready for a five-round fight. I train for that every time but I’m not the type of fighter to go in there and be satisfied with a five-round fight.”
