PFL is back this weekend where the fighter that many believe is the current face of the promotion is finally set to return.
2024 was a breakout year for Dakota Ditcheva who dismantled Taila Santos in the finals of the flyweight tournament to remain undefeated.
Talk immediately turned to what could possibly be next for the promotion’s newest star before Ditcheva started to speak about being inactive.
After fighting four times in one year, there were no updates on the 26-year-old for some time until the card for July 19 was announced.
Ditcheva is now heading to Cape Town, South Africa where she will look to put a difficult year behind her by reminding everyone what she’s capable of.
Dakota Ditcheva was concerned that her 2024 success would decline due to inactivity in 2025
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Dakota Ditcheva reflected on her period of inactivity now that her return is just several days away.
The Brit previously aired her frustrations publicly as it looked like the PFL had no plans in place for her next challenge, which had been a concern after she blew through the opposition in the 2024 season.
Ditcheva said that for her, this was a difficult time because despite the fan demand to see her compete, she was worried that being out of sight and out of mind might slow her momentum down.
“It’s been tough and that’s literally how I felt, that all my hard work, I was just watching it decline a little bit but at the same time, anytime I post anything or PFL posts anything, every comment under the post is, ‘Where’s Dakota?’. So, I feel like everyone’s still backing me and they’ve definitely not forgot about me yet.”
Ditcheva also acknowledges that absence makes the heart grow fonder and she accepts that if this is how everything has played out, she’ll make the most of the situation.
That being said, she still would have preferred to have remained active after a near-flawless performance last November.
“You’ve got to see both sides haven’t you. I would have preferred to have kept fighting and everyone keep watching me, if I’m going to be honest. But I’m one of those people that just rolls with the journey. I’ve put a few comments out there just saying trust the timing of what’s happening. It’s really disappointing that I haven’t fought all year but it’s meant to be, clearly.”
Dakota Ditcheva says she didn’t know what would be next for her when looking at the PFL landscape in 2025
Following her dominant win over Taila Santos, the immediate question surrounding Dakota Ditcheva was how the PFL would be able to continue offering her interesting challenges.
This only became a greater concern when some of the top names on the roster that she hasn’t faced yet, including former UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche, were booked to compete in the 2025 World Tournament.
It came as a surprise to many to see that Ditcheva’s return will see her face 34-year-old Japanese competitor Sumiko Inaba, with the Brit admitting that she wasn’t sure what would be next for her.
“It’s hard because they put people like Liz [Carmouche] in the tournament… I feel like they were the top girls,” Ditcheva told MMA Fighting. “But, Sumiko is 9-1, you can’t really turn your nose up at fighters like that. She’s proven herself, what can I say to that?… I wasn’t really sure where I was going with it but when they said her name, that’s a great matchup for me so I’m happy that they’ve got someone.”