The daughter of accomplished kickboxing, karate, and Muay Thai star Lisa Howarth, Dakota Ditcheva was a junior amateur Muay Thai champion before making her professional MMA debut in 2019. Ditcheva, who enters this fight 13-0, ran through the competition in PFL Europe last year, defeating Valentina Scatizzi to become the inaugural PFL Europe Women’s Flyweight Champion. Now, this year, Ditcheva has dispatched of Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, and Jena Bishop, and Ditcheva is one step away from becoming the first to win PFL Europe and World Championships.

 

Taila Santos went on a winning streak to start her professional MMA career and comes into this fight with 22 victories in 25 fights. A former bantamweight regional champion, who came so close to scoring a championship win over Valentina Shevchenko, Santos joined the PFL earlier this year. Now, after wins over Ilara Joanne, Bishop, and Bellator women’s flyweight champion Liz Carmouche, Santos finds herself one fight away from finally claiming a world title.

 

Which woman will become the inaugural PFL Women’s Flyweight Champion in tonight’s co-main event?

 

 

Round 1

 

Ditcheva with a low kick. Left hand from Ditcheva. Low kick from Santos. Ditcheva misses a front kick. Low kick from Ditcheva. Hard inside low kick from Ditcheva. Santos answers in kind. Ditcheva with a hard right hand, and the two get into a clinch battle. Santos has Ditcheva pinned against the fence in a body lock. Santos tries to get Ditcheva down, but it’s Ditcheva who scores the takedown. Ditcheva lands a left hand when Santos gets back to her feet. Left hook and a low kick from Ditcheva. Santos pins Ditcheva and tries to make use of the body lock against the fence again. Santos scores the takedown, but Ditcheva gets right back up.

 

Ditcheva escapes her grasp and lands a pair of front kicks with about two minutes left. Left hand misses for Ditcheva. Low kick from Ditcheva. Santos misses a four-punch combination. Low front kick from Ditcheva again. Santos pushing forward with her jab as the fight goes to the center. Strong front kick to the face by Ditcheva. Small flurry from Ditcheva, and an elbow to finish the combination. Santos is feeling it. Santos avoids a long left hand from Ditcheva. Ditcheva gets the better of a last-second exchange.

 

 

 

Round 2

 

Santos flashes her left hand, but it’s Ditcheva who starts to work the jab. Another clinch and Ditcheva lands a knee. Another big knee up the middle by Ditcheva! Santos has Ditcheva against the SmartCage. The referee called for action, and Ditcheva gets free. Left hand from Ditcheva. Front kick by Ditcheva. Low kick by Ditcheva, and Santos responds with a jab. Front kick from Santos is blocked. Left hand to the body. Right jab by Ditcheva. Right hand by Santos. One-two from Ditcheva, followed by a knee. Low kick from Ditcheva to counter a hook attempt by Santos. Left hand from Ditcheva.

 

 

Round kick by Ditcheva. Front kick by Ditcheva again. Knee to the midsection by Ditcheva, but Santos pulls Ditcheva into the SmartCage barrier. Ditcheva tries to get a Thai clinch on separation. Elbow lands strongly for Ditcheva. Ditcheva makes Santos eat a left. A flurry from Ditcheva. Round kick to the body by Ditcheva. A big knee and a flurry from Ditcheva. Santos grabs a hold and presses Ditcheva into the fence. Ditcheva reverses the position and lands a couple of strong elbows. Knee up the middle hurts Santos. Ditcheva lands a left to the body, and Santos feels that one! She attacks the body some more and that’s it!

 

 

Dakota Ditcheva makes history! PFL Europe Champion, and now PFL World Champion!

 

 

OFFICIAL RESULT

Dakota Ditcheva defeats Taila Santos by 2nd round TKO (4:41) to become the 2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight World Champion

Ditcheva is the first fighter to win a PFL regional title (2023 PFL Europe title) and go on to win the PFL World Title

Ditcheva stays undefeated at 14-0 with her 12th knockout

Ditcheva follows in the footsteps of her mother Lisa Howarth, who was a combat sports world champion (muay thai, kickboxing, karate)

Ditcheva becomes the youngest PFL world champion in history (26 years and 4 months)

Ditcheva’s nickname is “Dangerous” and she fights out of Manchester, England