Dakota Ditcheva Cleared to Train, Eyes PFL Title Shot in Early 2027
Ditcheva broke both hands in July, won anyway, and now wants the PFL flyweight belt.
Dakota Ditcheva is cleared to start punching again and already has her sights set on a PFL flyweight title fight early next year.
The unbeaten British prospect told MiddleEasy she received medical clearance on October 15 to resume training and gradually return to hitting, a significant milestone after breaking both hands in her July 31 decision win over Denise Kielholtz at PFL New York. All three judges scored that fight 30-27 in Ditcheva's favor, but the victory came at a steep physical cost. She has had surgery during her recovery.
Ditcheva, who is 16-0, said she is targeting a February or March return. Her preferred opponent is Jena Bishop, who won the PFL's inaugural women's flyweight championship at PFL Chicago by outpointing Liz Carmouche in a tight 48-47 decision. "I'm ready to go February, March," Ditcheva said.
The two fighters have history. In the August 2024 PFL semifinal, Ditcheva stopped Bishop in the first round. She credited Bishop's growing confidence but questioned how the new champion responds to real adversity, rejecting the idea that inexperience is an excuse at the title level.
The matchup makes sense from every angle. Bishop has the belt, Ditcheva has the resume, and both fighters are young enough to build PFL's women's flyweight division into something worth watching. Carmouche had previously proposed a March fight with Ditcheva, but that is off the table after Carmouche's loss to Bishop.
Ditcheva breaking both hands, winning the fight anyway, and then immediately targeting the title shot is the most Dakota Ditcheva thing I have ever seen. This girl is built different.
The PFL's women's flyweight division actually has a compelling story now. Bishop is a legitimate champion who avenged her loss to Carmouche to get the belt. Ditcheva is the unbeaten wrecking ball who already stopped Bishop once. February or March gives both fighters time to prepare, and the PFL would be smart to make this the centerpiece of an early 2027 card.
I have said it before: Ditcheva is the best prospect in women's MMA outside the UFC. If she comes back healthy and takes that belt from Bishop, the conversation about where she fits in the global rankings is going to get very loud, very fast.
