Dakota Ditcheva Reaches $1 Million PFL Finals Against Taila Santos

Dakota Ditcheva, 26, swiftly secured her place in the 2024 PFL flyweight series finals after a dominant first-round victory over Jena Bishop in Tennessee. Displaying her striking prowess, Ditcheva dropped Bishop with a knee followed by a powerful hammer fist. This is prepared by SSP.

After inviting Bishop back to her feet, the referee stepped in to stop the contest, booking Ditcheva a spot in the £781,000 ($1 million) final where she'll face Brazilian Taila Santos for the world title. This victory marked Ditcheva's fourth consecutive first-round finish, boosting her undefeated record to 13 wins, including 11 knockouts.

Normally composed, Ditcheva was visibly irritated during the match, notably beckoning Bishop to stand and making a shush gesture towards her and her team. Post-fight, Ditcheva addressed criticism from Bishop's team on social media, asserting her dominance with: "I think I've proved enough just there. We don't do no split decisions around here."

Ditcheva's previous achievements include winning PFL’s European flyweight title last year, which came with a £100,000 prize. Her recent victory affirms her status as a rapidly rising star in MMA, with seven consecutive finishes.

Her upcoming opponent, Taila Santos, 31, made a switch from UFC to PFL earlier this year, defeating former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche on points to secure her spot in the final. Santos holds an impressive record of 22 wins and only three losses, yet Ditcheva remains unfazed by the experience gap, promising an entertaining bout: "This is the fight everyone wants to see. It's not going to be another boring three-rounder, not when I'm involved."

In their recent matchup, Bishop initially caught Ditcheva off guard, bringing her to the ground and landing some shots. However, Ditcheva regained control, landing a decisive knee that floored Bishop, followed promptly by a right hand that led to the referee's intervention and her ensuing victory.