Meet rising MMA star Dakota Ditcheva; a knockout in & out of the cage

Dakota Ditcheva is a rising star in the Professional Fighters League and she is taking the mixed martial arts world by storm.

Josh Sanchez | Aug 3, 2024

PFL

Dakota Ditcheva has been dubbed the "next MMA superstar" after a flawless run through the 2024 Professional Fighters League (PFL) season. Ditcheva boasts a perfect 13-0 pro record in mixed martial arts, with 11 knockouts, and she's just getting started.

The 26-year-old Greater Manchester native cruised to the 2024 PFL Championship with multiple viral finishes, and will compete for the $1 million championship prize later this year against UFC veteran Talia Santos.

Ditcheva is also a star outside of the cage, with high-profile sponsorships with companies like Celsius and Bose.

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Ditcheva grew up in a mixed martial arts family.

Her father is Bulgarian, while her mother, Lisa Howarth, was a multiple-time world kickboxing champion. Ditcheva's mother inspired her to get involved in martial arts at a young age, and she eventually took up kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Prior to beginning her pro MMA career in 2021, Ditcheva compiled a record of 10-1 as a professional kickboxer.

Dakota Ditcheva gets it done in 1 round! She's going to the #PFLWorldChampionship!!!

[ 🇺🇸 LIVE NOW ESPN & ESPN+ | #PFLPlayoffs | #PFLNashville | https://t.co/jPNvomCxHI ] pic.twitter.com/gCB4gB9gsB
— PFL (@PFLMMA) August 3, 2024

After her win in the PFL semifinals on Friday night, Ditcheva addressed the critics on social media.

Fellow fighters had been bashing Ditcheva leading up to the fight against Jena Bishop (7-2), saying she she was given an easy path to the final and was fighting "cans," a term for weak opponents.

Ditcheva clapped back at the critics with a strong, defiant message.

"Did they expect [me to win]?" Ditcheva said, via ESPN.com. "I have taken a lot of crap on the internet, all fight week, from the girls in the tournament. I think I proved we don't do no split decisions around here. Jena, her whole team, the mean girls in her club have been tagging me in Instagram stories. She's going to join the list of cans now. So, take a seat."