The Film Room: Dakota Ditcheva’s Wake of Destruction

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When homegrown Professional Fighters League superstar Dakota Ditcheva steps in the cage, you had better eliminate all distractions because you are all but guaranteed to see something special. At the tender age of 26, the Manchester-born mauler has turned the MMA world on its head with her deadly skills. When she cruised to a PFL Europe Championship, many believed she was a promising prospect on the rise but too unproven to shine on the world stage. That seems amusing now. Nobody was laughing when Ditcheva brutally claimed the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight title with four straight knockouts, including the annihilation of former Ultimate Fighting Championship contender Taila Santos.

Now 14-0, Ditcheva’s unblemished record doesn’t look to be in any danger anytime soon. The PFL World Tournament was spared from her veracity this season, but somebody has to pay the price for her eight-month layoff. Ditcheva has her eyes set on Sumiko Inaba, a former Bellator MMA standout who likes to walk forward and let her hands go. Ditcheva will meet Inaba in the 2025 PFL Africa 1 co-main event on Saturday at the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa.

Before Ditcheva returns to the SmartCage, a look at what makes the English knockout machine so dangerous. Welcome to The Film Room:

Dakota's striking is fun to watch!#PFLWorldChampionship
LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/N1nxk9GUYy

— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024

Slow Feet Don’t Eat

Ditcheva has some of the best footwork in women’s MMA. She’s incredibly light on her feet and deceptive with her range. Ditcheva doesn’t waste her energy on a repetitive pendulum bounce. Instead, she creeps forward and explodes backward. Santos doesn’t know if she’s in range and is forced to throw out a jab to measure. Ditcheva is waiting for the jab and uses the opening to jump back and catch Santos with a cross. Santos believes that if she throws another punch, Ditcheva will respect her advances and back up again, but instead the American Top Team ace stands her ground and lands a shorter but harder cross. Ditcheva’s footwork put Santos off-balance and sent her reeling back into the fence.

Taila Santos is still up! Round 2 is all Ditcheva so far!#PFLWorldChampionship
LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/g5ZAZIe5ci

— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024

Fight the Hands

Ditcheva adds an advanced element to her striking by fighting Santos’ hands. Pro fighters are too slick to throw every punch to the head. You have to be creative with combinations and routes to the target. Ditcheva displays this by throwing a one-two straight at Santos’ high guard, forcing her to shell up. While a less experienced fighter would try to crash through Santos’ guard, Ditcheva frames off the Brazilian’s static hands and lands a thudding knee to the body. The guard pulls and frames set up punches without worrying about the possibility of a counter. As soon as Ditcheva lands her shot, she re-establishes control and her distance.

Expect fireworks in this Saturday’s Co-Main Event 😤

Dakota Ditcheva 🆚 Sumiko Inaba

Whose side are you on for Fight Night?
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #TeamDitcheva or #TeamInaba 🇺🇸#PFLCapeTown | Saturday July 19 | Grand Arena, GrandWest | Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/xyhd11qVIH

— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 14, 2025

Kill the Body, and the Head Will Fall

There’s an adage in boxing that states if you kill the body, the head will fall. Ditcheva practices this proverb to perfection. Ditcheva has a keen understanding of distance and positioning. If she isn’t on the outside, you can be sure that she’s closing the distance and smothering her opponent on the inside. Against Santos, Ditcheva would bury her head into Santos’ left shoulder. This limits Santos from using her left to punch or clinching with Ditcheva. The Brit takes this position to the next level by using her left hand to control Santos’ right hand. Despite not being able to punch in this stance, Ditcheva has set herself up to land knees directly into Santos’ solar plexus. As Santos creates space between her shoulder and her opponent’s head, Ditcheva closes that space with an elbow over the top before immediately sinking in more fight-ending body shots.

Taila Santos is still up! Round 2 is all Ditcheva so far!#PFLWorldChampionship
LIVE NOW ON ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/g5ZAZIe5ci

— PFL (@PFLMMA) November 29, 2024

Break the Base

Any fighter can dominate in a superior position, but the truly great fighters know how to shine in disadvantageous situations. Ditcheva is pinned to the fence by Chelsea Hackett, but her priority is to stay defensively sound. Ditcheva takes an overhook and collapses her weight on Hackett’s shoulder, which forces the Aussie to stand tall. With Hackett straight up, Ditcheva uses her forearm to pry herself out of the corner. Hackett had a strong position that she could have used to shoot for a takedown, but she was outclinched by a muay thai master. Ditcheva’s use of her forearm and elbows isn’t just for offensive purposes. She can use them defensively, as well.