PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: Dakota Ditcheva, England
Nickname: Dangerous
Date of Birth: 1998
Weight: 125 lb
Division: Flyweight
Pro MMA Record: 15-0-0
Early Life
Dakota Lili‑Joa Ditcheva was born on July 25, 1998, in Sale, Greater Manchester, England . She grew up immersed in combat sports—her mother, Lisa Howarth, is a legendary world kickboxing champion—and began training in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and later Brazilian jiu‑jitsu at around age four . She briefly stepped away from fighting but returned at age 13, eventually committing to MMA in her late teens .
Ditcheva earned dual British and Bulgarian nationality from her parents and proudly represents both cultures in her career . She won gold for Great Britain at the 2016 IFMA World Championships in Sweden as a junior Muay Thai champion and earned multiple world titles in junior divisions .
MMA Career
Ditcheva began her professional MMA career in April 2021. She immediately impressed with back‑to‑back first‑round finishes over Jenny Line and Kerry Isom at UK regional promotions, before adding wins at Celtic Gladiator and UAE Warriors via decision and stoppages .
In July 2022, she signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and made a splash in her promotional debut in Manchester, securing first‑round TKOs over Hassana Gaber and Katherine Corogenes .
She dominated the inaugural PFL Europe season in 2023 with emphatic finishes—submitting Malin Hermansson, K.O.-ing Cornelia Holm, and defeating Valentina Scatizzi via doctor stoppage in the final to claim the flyweight crown .
In 2024, Ditcheva continued her ascent by earning first‑round TKOs over Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop during the PFL global season. In the championship finale on November 29, 2024, she defeated former UFC title challenger Taila Santos by second‑round TKO in Riyadh, becoming the first British female MMA world champion, winning $1 million in prize money .
In her most recent fight on July 19, 2025, Ditcheva returned at PFL Africa in Cape Town, overcoming Sumiko Inaba via unanimous decision—even with a left hand injury—to improve her record to 15‑0 and sign a new deal with PFL .
PFL Chairman Donn Davis praised Ditcheva’s achievements and ambitions, positioning her as the face of women’s MMA and hinting at a UK‑based PFL card in 2025 .
MMA Record
| W/L/D[NC] | RECORD AFTER FIGHT | OPPONENTS | FIGHT LIBRARY |
| W | 15-0-0 | Sumiko Inaba | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSiRcmiJDeQ |
| W | 14-0-0 | Talia Santos | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehr990bj0So |
| W | 13-0-0 | Jena Bishop | |
| W | 12-0-0 | Chelsea Hackett | |
| W | 11-0-0 | Lisa Mauldin | |
| W | 10-0-0 | Valentina Scatizzi | |
| W | 9-0-0 | Cornelia Holm | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrWT46iF9VY |
| W | 8-0-0 | Malin Hermansson | |
| W | 7-0-0 | Katherina Corogen | |
| W | 6-0-0 | Hassana Gaber | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Zt9fxXWNJE |
| W | 5-0-0 | Paula Cristina | |
| W | 4-0-0 | Simone da Silva | |
| W | 3-0-0 | Patricia Borges | |
| W | 2-0-0 | Kerry Islom | |
| W | 1-0-0 | Jenny Line |
