Tag: dakota ditcheva

2024 MMA News Awards: Dakota Ditcheva Wins Female Fighter Of The Year

The major MMA promotions have wrapped up their schedules for 2024, so it’s time to crown this year’s MMA News award winners. Getting the ball rolling will be the Female Fighter of the Year, as we determine which woman among the UFC, PFL, and ONE Championship rosters stood out from the rest in 2024. Voting […]

The major MMA promotions have wrapped up their schedules for 2024, so it’s time to crown this year’s MMA News award winners.

Getting the ball rolling will be the Female Fighter of the Year, as we determine which woman among the UFC, PFL, and ONE Championship rosters stood out from the rest in 2024.

Voting Panel:

Harvey Leonard, Kyle Dimond, Andrew Starc, Thomas Albano, Ryan Jarrell, Andrew Ravens

Honorable Mentions:

8. Zhang Weili – UFC strawweight champion

7. Natália Silva – UFC flyweight contender

6. Virna Jandiroba – UFC strawweight contender

Now, on to the five female fighters who received the most votes for this year’s award, including the 2024 winner.

5. Jasmine Jasudavicius – UFC Flyweight Contender

2024 marked flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius’ third calendar year competing under the UFC banner, and it was by far her best.

After going 1-1 in 2022 and 2-1 in 2023, the Canadian standout enjoyed an unbeaten 3-0 year in the Octagon. After initially bouncing back from her setback against Tracy Cortez by submitting Priscila Cachoeira on home soil this past January, the 35-year-old outpointed highly regarded debutant Fatima Kline in Colorado before getting another finish in front of her compatriots at the expense of Ariane Lipski da Silva.

Having risen to #12 in the rankings with three straight wins, two of which earned her Performance of the Night bonuses, Jasudavicius has earned fifth place in this year’s MMA News award.

Jasmine Jasudavicius
Image: UFC/YouTube

4. Cris Cyborg – Bellator Featherweight & PFL Super Fights Featherweight Champion

MMA legend Cris Cyborg marks one of two fighters to crack the top five with just one fight in 2024.

The former UFC featherweight queen and current Bellator champion spent much of this year expressing discontent at her struggle to secure a debut in the PFL. But that finally came to fruition at the Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in October, where she competed for the inaugural PFL Super Fights featherweight belt against the promotion’s first and only two-weight title winner, Larissa Pacheco.

The 39-year-old showed that she’s got plenty left in the tank, emerging victorious from a brutal five-round battle. In doing so, Cyborg ended Pacheco’s 10-fight win streak, which included a victory over Kayla Harrison and consecutive PFL season triumphs at 155 and 145 pounds.

Cris Cyborg
Image: Jose Peñuela/PFL MMA

3. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC Flyweight Champion

Like Cyborg, another all-time MMA great in Valentina Shevchenko also delivered in a big way with her sole appearance in the cage this year.

After a defeat and draw against Alexa Grasso in 2023, many had written off “Bullet’s” chances of returning to the flyweight throne when she and the Mexican completed their trilogy at Noche UFC inside the Sphere this past September. But more than just proving her detractors wrong, Shevchenko utterly dominated Grasso across five rounds to begin a second reign at 125 pounds.

That one-sided performance defied the expectations of most, meaning Shevchenko gets the bronze in this year’s award.

Valentina Shevchenko & Alexa Grasso
Image: @ufc/X

2. Kayla Harrison – UFC Bantamweight Contender

The top UFC fighter in the 2024 award is Kayla Harrison, whose debut year on MMA’s biggest stage couldn’t have gone much better.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo swapped the PFL for the UFC, arriving in the Octagon for the first time at the milestone UFC 300 event this past April. The 2019 and 2021 PFL title winner was tasked with beating Holly Holm if she was to immediately stake her claim for a bantamweight title shot.

More than just beat the former champion, Harrison ran through her en route to finding the submission finish in round two. And after missing out on the next opportunity at the gold, the Ohio native extended her UFC record to 2-0 by outpointing another top-five contender in Ketlen Vieira.

After entering this year with many doubting her ability to even make the weight, Harrison’s perfect run to place herself in position for a championship shot in 2025 has earned her the runner-up spot.

Kayla Harrison
Image:Jeff Bottari/UFC, Zuffa LLC

1. Dakota Ditcheva – 2024 PFL Flyweight Champion

The rise of Dakota Ditcheva has been quite something, and 2024 saw her break through on the global stage.

After going 3-0 in 2023 to achieve regional title glory under the PFL Europe banner, the British striking specialist set her sights on emerging victorious from the PFL’s inaugural flyweight season. With the likes of Liz Carmouche and Taila Santos on the roster, the year promised to provide answers to those who questioned Ditcheva based on her level of competition.

Through the regular season and semifinal, “Dangerous” dispatched Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop with first-round finishes. Her journey to the championship final in Riyadh last month only boosted the hype — but it increased dramatically when she entered the cage on Nov. 29.

To secure gold and $1 million in prize money, Ditcheva had to get the better of Santos, a longtime top-five contender in the UFC whom many believe deserved the nod over Shevchenko in their 2022 title fight. The undefeated 26-year-old passed the test with flying colors, dominating the Brazilian before blitzing her with body shots in round two for the finish.

With a 4-0 year to capture another PFL title and establish herself as one of the world’s best in MMA at 125 pounds, top spot was only ever going to “Dangerous” Dakota Ditcheva in 2024.

Dakota Ditcheva
Image: PFL MMA

2024 MMA News Awards: Dakota Ditcheva Wins Female Fighter Of The Year

The major MMA promotions have wrapped up their schedules for 2024, so it’s time to crown this year’s MMA News award winners. Getting the ball rolling will be the Female Fighter of the Year, as we determine which woman among the UFC, PFL, and ONE Championship rosters stood out from the rest in 2024. Voting […]

The major MMA promotions have wrapped up their schedules for 2024, so it’s time to crown this year’s MMA News award winners.

Getting the ball rolling will be the Female Fighter of the Year, as we determine which woman among the UFC, PFL, and ONE Championship rosters stood out from the rest in 2024.

Voting Panel:

Harvey Leonard, Kyle Dimond, Andrew Starc, Thomas Albano, Ryan Jarrell, Andrew Ravens

Honorable Mentions:

8. Zhang Weili – UFC strawweight champion

7. Natália Silva – UFC flyweight contender

6. Virna Jandiroba – UFC strawweight contender

Now, on to the five female fighters who received the most votes for this year’s award, including the 2024 winner.

5. Jasmine Jasudavicius – UFC Flyweight Contender

2024 marked flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius’ third calendar year competing under the UFC banner, and it was by far her best.

After going 1-1 in 2022 and 2-1 in 2023, the Canadian standout enjoyed an unbeaten 3-0 year in the Octagon. After initially bouncing back from her setback against Tracy Cortez by submitting Priscila Cachoeira on home soil this past January, the 35-year-old outpointed highly regarded debutant Fatima Kline in Colorado before getting another finish in front of her compatriots at the expense of Ariane Lipski da Silva.

Having risen to #12 in the rankings with three straight wins, two of which earned her Performance of the Night bonuses, Jasudavicius has earned fifth place in this year’s MMA News award.

Jasmine Jasudavicius
Image: UFC/YouTube

4. Cris Cyborg – Bellator Featherweight & PFL Super Fights Featherweight Champion

MMA legend Cris Cyborg marks one of two fighters to crack the top five with just one fight in 2024.

The former UFC featherweight queen and current Bellator champion spent much of this year expressing discontent at her struggle to secure a debut in the PFL. But that finally came to fruition at the Battle of the Giants pay-per-view in October, where she competed for the inaugural PFL Super Fights featherweight belt against the promotion’s first and only two-weight title winner, Larissa Pacheco.

The 39-year-old showed that she’s got plenty left in the tank, emerging victorious from a brutal five-round battle. In doing so, Cyborg ended Pacheco’s 10-fight win streak, which included a victory over Kayla Harrison and consecutive PFL season triumphs at 155 and 145 pounds.

Cris Cyborg
Image: Jose Peñuela/PFL MMA

3. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC Flyweight Champion

Like Cyborg, another all-time MMA great in Valentina Shevchenko also delivered in a big way with her sole appearance in the cage this year.

After a defeat and draw against Alexa Grasso in 2023, many had written off “Bullet’s” chances of returning to the flyweight throne when she and the Mexican completed their trilogy at Noche UFC inside the Sphere this past September. But more than just proving her detractors wrong, Shevchenko utterly dominated Grasso across five rounds to begin a second reign at 125 pounds.

That one-sided performance defied the expectations of most, meaning Shevchenko gets the bronze in this year’s award.

Valentina Shevchenko & Alexa Grasso
Image: @ufc/X

2. Kayla Harrison – UFC Bantamweight Contender

The top UFC fighter in the 2024 award is Kayla Harrison, whose debut year on MMA’s biggest stage couldn’t have gone much better.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo swapped the PFL for the UFC, arriving in the Octagon for the first time at the milestone UFC 300 event this past April. The 2019 and 2021 PFL title winner was tasked with beating Holly Holm if she was to immediately stake her claim for a bantamweight title shot.

More than just beat the former champion, Harrison ran through her en route to finding the submission finish in round two. And after missing out on the next opportunity at the gold, the Ohio native extended her UFC record to 2-0 by outpointing another top-five contender in Ketlen Vieira.

After entering this year with many doubting her ability to even make the weight, Harrison’s perfect run to place herself in position for a championship shot in 2025 has earned her the runner-up spot.

Kayla Harrison
Image:Jeff Bottari/UFC, Zuffa LLC

1. Dakota Ditcheva – 2024 PFL Flyweight Champion

The rise of Dakota Ditcheva has been quite something, and 2024 saw her break through on the global stage.

After going 3-0 in 2023 to achieve regional title glory under the PFL Europe banner, the British striking specialist set her sights on emerging victorious from the PFL’s inaugural flyweight season. With the likes of Liz Carmouche and Taila Santos on the roster, the year promised to provide answers to those who questioned Ditcheva based on her level of competition.

Through the regular season and semifinal, “Dangerous” dispatched Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop with first-round finishes. Her journey to the championship final in Riyadh last month only boosted the hype — but it increased dramatically when she entered the cage on Nov. 29.

To secure gold and $1 million in prize money, Ditcheva had to get the better of Santos, a longtime top-five contender in the UFC whom many believe deserved the nod over Shevchenko in their 2022 title fight. The undefeated 26-year-old passed the test with flying colors, dominating the Brazilian before blitzing her with body shots in round two for the finish.

With a 4-0 year to capture another PFL title and establish herself as one of the world’s best in MMA at 125 pounds, top spot was only ever going to “Dangerous” Dakota Ditcheva in 2024.

Dakota Ditcheva
Image: PFL MMA

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN Honor

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN HonorDakota Ditcheva or Kayla Harrison? Kayla Harrison has been named ESPN’s Female Fighter of the Year for 2024. While…

Fans Cry Foul as Kayla Harrison Edges Out Dakota Ditcheva for 2024 ESPN Honor

Dakota Ditcheva or Kayla Harrison? Kayla Harrison has been named ESPN’s Female Fighter of the Year for 2024. While Harrison’s accomplishments are impressive, the decision has sparked a debate among fans, with many arguing that Dakota Ditcheva had a stronger case for the award.

Kayla Harrison Or Dakota Ditcheva

Kayla Harrison is a former Olympic judo gold medalist who had an incredible run in the PFL and later transitioned to the UFC. Her debut came at UFC 300 in April, where she submitted former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the second round. This victory immediately placed her among the top contenders in the 135-pound division. Harrison solidified her position in October at UFC 307, defeating Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision. The two wins improved her professional record to 18-1.

However, fans have pointed to Dakota Ditcheva’s perfect year as a strong counterargument to Harrison’s selection. Competing in the PFL, Ditcheva delivered four dominant performances, with her becoming the youngest champion in PFL history.

She kicked off the year with back-to-back TKO victories over Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett, then secured a semifinal win against Jena Bishop in August also via knockout.

In November, Ditcheva claimed the PFL Women’s Flyweight Tournament title and a $1 million prize by defeating former UFC title challenger Taila Santos via TKO. The 25-year-old British fighter ended 2024 with a flawless 14-0 record, earning her recognition as the first British female MMA world champion. Additionally, she was the first fighter ever to stop Santos.

Kayla Harrison Or Dakota Ditcheva

Critics of ESPN’s decision argue that Ditcheva’s historic achievements and unbeaten record should have tipped the scales in her favor. While Harrison’s UFC debut and victories were significant, some fans believe they fell short of Ditcheva’s remarkable run through the PFL tournament. Harrison defeated an over-the-hill Holm and narrowly edged Viera while Ditcheva dominated the field and made history.

Fans Balk at Harrison over Ditcheva

Here are various comments by fans:

“I love Kayla but Dakota Ditcheva would like to have a word…”

“Dakota Ditcheva is 4-0 in 2024 under the PFL banner with 4 knockouts. She’s you’re real 2024 WMMA Fighter of the Year winner.”

“Dakota Ditcheva should have won this. 4-0 over the year, all KO wins with no girl making it out of the 2nd round.”

“Dakota ditcheva should’ve won she went 4-0 in 2024 all by tko”

UFC Next for Dakota Ditcheva? PFL Champion Explains Reason for Potential Move

UFC Next for Dakota Ditcheva? PFL Champion Explains Reason for Potential MoveDakota Ditcheva is already looking at a future beyond the limitations of the PFL. After winning the PFL Europe…

UFC Next for Dakota Ditcheva? PFL Champion Explains Reason for Potential Move

Dakota Ditcheva is already looking at a future beyond the limitations of the PFL.

After winning the PFL Europe flyweight tournament in 2023, ‘Dangerous’ ran the table during this year’s regular season tournament and playoffs, becoming the promotion’s first-ever global PFL flyweight world champion.

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Even more impressive was the fact that she practically ran through former UFC title challenger Taila Santos to win her first $1 million paycheck. Santos previously went toe-to-toe with bantamweight queen Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 275 and in the eyes of many, did enough to dethrone ‘Bullet’ that night.

KO’ing Santos in the second round of their flyweight final, Ditcheva proved that she’s more than just a pretty face backed by the PFL hype machine. She’s a legitimate threat to any woman in any promotion, and after logging another year inside the Smart Cage, she hopes to test herself on a much bigger stage.

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“I’m definitely with PFL because I’m in contract for at least another year anyway, so I’ve definitely not finished with them yet,” Ditcheva told talkSPORT. “I’ve got lots of things in the pipeline that we could possibly do. But I think, competition-wise, everyone kind of thinks you need to go to the UFC because they do see me as the top girl in PFL, especially now that I’ve beat Santos. You know, she—everyone thought she beat UFC world champion Valentina [Shevchenko].

“So everyone’s kind of a little bit like, before that fight, it was like, ‘How good is Dakota really? She hasn’t fought anyone,’ type thing. And then when I beat her, now it’s like, ‘Oh, who are you going to fight next?’”

What’s next for the undefeated dakota ditcheva?

Ditcheva is a perfect 14-0 in her mixed martial arts career with an incredible 93% finish rate, including 12 knockouts and one win via submission.

It remains to be seen if ‘Dangerous’ will compete in the 2025 PFL tournament or if the promotion will keep her out of the tournament in favor of a potential superfight.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options for big-money fights under the PFL banner which is why she’s already plotting to follow in the footsteps of two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison and leave the promotion in search of greener pastures and greater challenges.

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Dakota Ditcheva Says Taila Santos’ Face Changed After One Leg Kick In PFL Title Fight: ‘She Underestimated Me’

2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion Dakota Ditcheva was pleased to teach Taila Santos a lesson in not underestimating opponents. Ditcheva recorded the biggest win of her blossoming career to date in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month when she co-headlined this year’s PFL World Championship. The Brit figured in one of six title fights on the […]

2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion Dakota Ditcheva was pleased to teach Taila Santos a lesson in not underestimating opponents.

Ditcheva recorded the biggest win of her blossoming career to date in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last month when she co-headlined this year’s PFL World Championship.

The Brit figured in one of six title fights on the main card at King Saud University — and arguably the most highly anticipated — after winning gold in PFL Europe last year and announcing herself on the global roster with three knockouts en route to her toughest test to date.

Ditcheva’s detractors have long used competition level as a means by which to take away from her unbeaten run. But that is no longer viable after she dominated Santos, a former top UFC contender whom many believed did enough to defeat Valentina Shevchenko two years ago.

The Brazilian fell the same way as many have to “Dangerous,” being overwhelmed by her striking offense before succumbing to brutal body shots in round two.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Ditcheva looked back on her successful trip to the Middle East, which saw her exit the SmartCage on Nov. 19 with gold wrapped around her waist and $1 million in prize money secured.

The 26-year-old acknowledged Santos’ dismissive pre-fight remarks inside the cage during her celebration and interview. And reflecting on them once again, Ditcheva suggested the experienced Brazilian made the surprising and fatal mistake of failing to “respect” the threat she was facing.

“I think honestly she probably underestimated me a little bit,” Ditcheva said. “Like, she has been saying through the whole tournament, not just this fight, from the very beginning that I’m just a Barbie, she’s a different level. I genuinely don’t think she respected me at all and where me, I respected every girl in this tournament, whether they’ve been in the UFC or not.

“I think genuinely she got shocked when I hit her. As soon as I hit with the first inside leg kick, I saw her face change, and then every shot I hit her with, she was just like making noises like it was hurting,” Ditcheva continued. “I think she probably underestimated me, which is a silly move to do and something I’m surprised she did at her level.”

Suffice to say, the chances of Ditcheva’s future opponents making the same mistake have no doubt slimmed after the manner with which she dispatched Santos at the PFL World Championship.

For now, it remains to be seen who will be opposite the “Dangerous” Brit next time out — and in which of the PFL’s entities. Ditcheva has already expressed hesitancy when it comes to competing in a second season, with the pay-per-view Super Fights events seemingly on her radar instead.

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko‘Dangerous’ Dakota Ditcheva just won the PFL world title by stunning knockout, stopping Taila Santos in the second round…

Dakota Ditcheva Says She was Expecting More from Santos Due to Valentina Shevchenko

‘Dangerous’ Dakota Ditcheva just won the PFL world title by stunning knockout, stopping Taila Santos in the second round in a dominant performance. Because of Valentina Shevchenko, Ditcheva thought Brazil’s Santos was going to bring more.

Dakota Ditcheva Knocks out Taila Santos

Three knockouts in a row are all the Bulgarian-Russian needed to capture a whopping $1,000,000 in the PFL capturing a world title for the 2024 season. In the finals, Dakota Ditcheva faced veteran athlete Taila Santos who got folded over in the second round.

dakota ditcheva

Brazil’s Taila Santos has defeated notable athletes such as Liz Carmouche, and Joanne Wood, among others. Valentina Shevchenko is a multi-time UFC champion with tons of title defenses to her name. In their five-round war with the UFC crown on the line, Santos nearly took the throne from ‘Bullet’ Shevchenko. Because of that match, Ditcheva thought Santos was going to have more.

dakota ditcheva pfl 1

Speaking in a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Ditcheva explained:

“I expected Taila Santos to bring a bit more because of her fight with Valentina Shevchenko. But I knew I’d get the stoppage in there.

“She’s never been stopped. Shevchenko didn’t stop her. People thought [Santos] beat [Shevchenko]… Erin Blanchfield went 5 rounds with her. I just got in there and made it look like another on the list.”

Ditcheva added that she has loads of respect for the skills and strength of Santos as well. The undefeated Ditcheva comes from a Muay Thai and Kickboxing background which was largely taught to her by her moth who was a champion in these striking sports. After this win, she is next looking to compete in the PFL in February.