‘It’s been difficult’ – the champion who ran out of challengers

Sumiko Inaba vs. Dakota Ditcheva in the PFL Champions Series

Dakota Ditcheva had no idea what the disappointment would be when she won the first world title in MMA, becoming the first British woman to do so.

She had all the momentum after her historic victory over Taila Santos in the PFL flyweight title match. This was her fourth victory in a golden 2024.

Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, some of the top women’s MMA players, gave congratulations, but the story would soon start to develop.

What’s next, everyone, was the subject of a conversation that was starting to surface after that career-high moment in November?

There were no worthy competitors left in the promotion because of Ditcheva’s dominant strategy, which included three first-round stoppages and one in the second round, which left her opponents fighting in vain.

Ditcheva tells BBC Sport, “Obviously, it’s made it difficult because I went through them last year.”

It’s undoubtedly frustrating. I fought in the cage four times last year, and obviously the last one attracted a lot of attention, but now I feel like my momentum has kind of lost.

Due to his contract with the PFL, Manchester’s Ditcheva is unable to pursue a new promotion.

Ditcheva claims she thought about participating in the PFL’s flyweight competition again this year, but she turned down because many of the competitors had fought in 2024.

She uses Jena Bishop, the flyweight champion of this year, as an example. Ditcheva lost in the first round of the tournament last August.

After months of waiting, the PFL has announced that Ditcheva and Sumiko Inaba will square off against one another in Cape Town, South Africa, on Saturday.

Ditcheva claims that Inaba was chosen because she won eight of her nine fights and that “there is no disputing her skill level” with the majority of her theoretically viable competitors competing in the flyweight competition. How dangerous will the 34-year-old Hawaiian be as compared to.

For the first time in Africa, a major MMA event is taking place.

Ditcheva can see a benefit from her eight-month wait to find an opponent, the buzz of anticipation for her return to action.

Ditcheva is one of the most exciting British fighters in the world thanks to her exceptional striking, which has resulted in 12 knockout victories in 14 fights.

I fought four times last year, which was very beneficial, but now I feel like everyone is waiting for me to fight, Ditcheva said.

Mackenzie Stiller defeated Inaba in the last competition in September of that year.

She has lived with me more than I do. Ditcheva said, “I don’t know whether she is the fight I would have chosen, but I don’t know what fight I would have chosen,” “but then again, I don’t know.”

I’m pleased they were able to fight me, I guess. I’m anticipating it, and I’m anticipating a difficult battle.

In the headline fight, Ditcheva and Inaba square off against Costello van Steenis from Spain in what is billed as the co-main event at the Grand Arena.

Eblen is the current middleweight champion on Bellator, last defending it against Fabian Edwards in October of that year. However, the company has since been disbanded as a result of a merger in 2023.