PFL women’s flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva isn’t pleased with her promotion.
The champ hasn’t stepped foot in the cage since her TKO win over Taila Santos in 2024. Since then, she has been pushing for another fight, but the PFL hasn’t been forthcoming, and the fighter is beginning to have some doubts.
“I’m not hearing a lot,” Ditcheva told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “Obviously the [2025] tournament has just kicked off for the girls, which I’m very happy for everyone that’s in it, kind of. I’d like to be in it myself. I am happy to see the girls building the division and getting that going. For me, I don’t really know what’s happening. The only thing I’ve heard is the winner of that tournament might fight me at the end of the year, which is fine, but it leaves me a very long time without a fight. I’m hoping me and PFL can work something out before then and get me back in the cage for the fans.”
The fighter says there is no fight currently in the books for her, despite her appeal to the promotion. Although there’s a possibility she won’t be included in the new tournament, Ditcheva is hopeful there will still be a slot for her.
The champ isn’t the only PFL fighter in this predicament, others like Corey Anderson, Johnny Eblen, and Patchy Mix have also complained about not getting fights in recent months.
“They’re like, ‘Oh, we’re going to put you in at the end of the year.’ What if the champion doesn’t end up coming out of the fight clean? What if they’re injured?” Ditcheva said. “Someone who has fought three times—do they want to fight me at the end of the year? They might say, ‘Sorry, I’m injured,’ or, ‘I don’t want to fight this year, I’ll do it in January.’ That’s a whole year out for me. It’s testing for sure, but something will come.”
Ditcheva recently returned to American Top Team to continue her training and said she would’ve been happy to join the eight-woman field in the 2025 PFL World Tournament. She understands why she was held out, having already beaten most of the notable names, but that situation would’ve been much preferred over what she’s currently enduring.
“I’m gutted that I haven’t had anything just yet,” Ditcheva said. “I’m just like: Get me anything. Literally. I get it’s hard for PFL. They’ve put all the girls in the tournament. Now they have to find someone that’s going to give me good competition. They can’t give me someone who’s just kind of signed to the PFL and doesn’t have much experience. It doesn’t make much sense. I’ve just beat Santos. Very easily.”
