Dakota Ditcheva is one of Britain's most promising upcoming MMA fighters and the 24-year-old has been inspired by the rise in popularity of women's sport in the nation.
PFL star Ditcheva makes her second appearance in the promotion next month when she faces Katherine Corogenes in New York. The former British muay thai champion transitioned to MMA last year and has since gone unbeaten in five professional fights, winning her PFL debut in August by knockout in under a minute.
Women's sport in the UK is at an all-time high, with the success of England's Lionesses in this year's European Championships pioneering that surge. Ditcheva was in attendance for Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall's undisputed title fight in London this month, which headlined the first all-female card in boxing history. The event, which drew over two-million viewers, was a huge success and Ditcheva was inspired by the card.
How far can Dakota Ditcheva go in MMA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
"I went to the Shields vs Marshall fight in London the other week, to see an all-female card like that was just massive," Ditcheva said. "I'm really excited to be a part of the growth for females in sport, I feel like we are setting an example now. The England women's win the football and the all-female card in boxing, I feel like this is a big time to be a part of it so I'm proud of it."
Ditcheva has been trained by her mum, trains at, for most of her career but the Brit went on a US gym tour ahead of her last fight. Ditcheva decided to make American Top Team in Florida her new home, a gym that hosts UFC stars such as Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier. Ditcheva admitted the level of wrestling in her new gym is something that she couldn't get back home in England.
"It's a good vibe over here, I absolutely love it," she added. This is the bit that I'm missing at home, the girls to wrestle with as the level of wrestling and jiu-jitsu here is a lot higher and it's something that I've missed a lot in my game. To be able to come over here and work on that again, it feels like I'm in the right place not just mentally but physically.
"There are so many girls on the mat this time, there were loads when I came last time in August and now I’ve come back, there are so many more. I feel like that was one of the factors, also waking up to the sun shining every morning played a part of it. I really settled so well here, I visited gyms in Las Vegas and California, but I just felt like here in Florida was a really settled environment for me.”
