Latest news with #Ditcheva
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Professional Fighters League aims to make MMA ‘the second sport of Africa' as fandom surges
South Africa has just hosted its biggest mixed martial arts event to date, and more are on the horizon thanks to the Professional Fighters League. South Africa hosted the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) event the country has seen at the GrandWest Grand Arena in Cape Town on Saturday, 19 July. The Professional Fighters League (PFL) had an explosive first night in Africa with both the launch of the inaugural PFL Africa event and then the PFL Champions Series following, with 13 fights during the evening. It was a historical occasion for MMA in the country. An international fighting organisation not only hosted the biggest fighters in the world – outside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – but also established a local foothold to display South Africa's best to the world. South Africa has its own local MMA organisation, Elite Fighting Championship (EFC) Worldwide, founded and run by the Howarth brothers. It provides a stepping stone for regional athletes to bigger organisations. UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis is an example of a star. But unlike the PFL, the EFC does not have the financial power to compete and retain talent against the UFC. One of the most distinguished women stars in MMA, England's Dakota Ditcheva – who has an undefeated 15-0 record – competes and recently signed again for the PFL despite interest from Dana White's UFC. Ditcheva featured in the co-main event on Saturday in Cape Town and completely overpowered Hawaii's Sumiko Inaba in their flyweight bout, eventually winning by judges' decision. 'That's the best walkout I've ever had,' an appreciative Ditcheva said after her win. She walked out to Freed from Desire by Gala, to which the boisterous local crowd sang and danced along. Same but different The reason for her commitment to the PFL – and that of the rest of the ever-expanding roster – is the work of its founder, chairperson and co-owner, Donn Davis. 'Most of my life I've built new companies, either as an entrepreneur or an investor, and I saw a big opportunity to build, essentially, in an underserved market,' Davis said in an exclusive interview with Daily Maverick. He explained that his ambition was to provide more 'premium' content to spectators than the UFC could offer. For a long time the UFC held the monopoly over prime MMA fights – until the establishment of the PFL in 2017. 'When I looked at the fans of MMA and the fighters of MMA and the commercial partners of MMA, I thought they're all underserved on the premium global level,' Davis said. 'There are 650 million MMA fans, but the UFC just gave them 50 premium fights a year. 'Those fans on a premium level would want more. I looked at the fighters and there were hundreds of great fighters that were all scattered around the globe at regional leagues, but they didn't have a premium global platform. And the commercial partners – a lot of them were either locked out or priced out. 'This is not a single winner-takes-all market. There'll be one more, maybe two more big companies.' The PFL is not a replica of the UFC, however – it has its own unique format. In the UFC, White almost exclusively decides who receives title shots and who faces whom across fight cards. The PFL, in contrast, uses a bracket system akin to college basketball in the US – or knockout formats in global sport – to determine which challenger will fight which opponent. 'I thought the product that would be very exciting would be a product that was a meritocracy,' Davis explained. 'Where fighters control their destiny. Single elimination. And as a fan, I thought that would be awesome too.' African foothold Saturday was the first round of the heavyweight and bantamweight classes of PFL Africa. The winners will be moving on to semifinals and then eventually the final, where each weight category's winner receives a $100,000 prize. 'One of those fighters [at the inaugural PFL Africa] is going to start on their way to be PFL African champ,' Davis said. 'They're going to win three times this year and they're going to hold up a belt and win $100,000. 'And then they're going to go up to PFL Global, the world tournament. And then they're going to win three times and they're going to hold up a belt and they're going to win $500,000. And in two years, somebody who nobody knows today, everyone will know two years from now.' But why Africa? The UFC has existed since 1993 but not hosted an event on the continent. White has flirted with the idea, but no concrete plans have materialised. The reasons for this include not having an indoor venue large enough to host the showpiece event, and the ticket prices, which, when converted, are close to R1-million. The PFL, in contrast, has now not only hosted a premium, sold-out event in South Africa, but also launched a subsidiary that looks to grow the local MMA talent. 'We're willing to invest in Africa, and they're not,' Davis said. 'They talk about it, we do it.' But that doesn't mean immediate financial gain for the PFL from the investment. 'We will occasionally get criticised,' Davis said. 'When you take a step back, we are investing and growing in the sport. We will not be profitable in Africa until our fifth year. That's if we do well. 'Until then, we're investing. We're putting money into Africa. We believe that, over time, we'll hopefully be successful. But as a builder of companies, you have to invest time, resources and money.' The 'people's league' Davis is an entrepreneur first, so he's not blindly throwing money at an investment. He's seen an untapped market in Africa that can grow into something extraordinary in the next few years. 'When you look at the two things that really matter, fans and fighters, boy, both are great,' he said. 'I think MMA can be the second sport of Africa. 'I think we could have 100 million MMA fans in Africa. And PFL Africa is going to be the people's league. Everything we're doing is to make it the people's league.' Tickets to the inaugural event sold for about R400. And although the PFL was broadcast on SuperSport, it could also be streamed online for free. '[We want] access in terms of viewership, access in terms of low ticket price, best African fighters,' Davis said. 'We want this to be the people's league. There are enough fans and the market is ready for that.' South African fans will have another opportunity to see some of the best MMA fighters in the world at the second PFL Africa event in Johannesburg on 9 August. There are also plans for two more events later this year, but the venues for those are yet to be confirmed. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
USA Today
19-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFL Africa results: Dakota Ditcheva shines vs. Sumiko Inaba, announces re-signing
PFL's biggest star keeps shining. At PFL Africa on Saturday, Dakota Ditcheva kept rolling as she defeated Bellator alum Sumiko Inaba by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-24). The bout was the co-main event of the card in Cape Town, South Africa. Ditcheva, 26, remains unbeaten in her career. She put on a striking clinic vs. Maui's Inaba (8-2), who hung tough but was unable to muster up much of an answer to Ditcheva's lengthy "eight-limbed" attack. Knees and elbows were Ditcheva's friends as she pieced up Inaba for 15 minute, creating a perfect concoction of skill and violence. By the end of the fight, Inaba's face was a mess. Immediately after the judges' decision, Ditcheva announced she'd re-signed with the PFL. She did not reveal any further details about the terms of her deal. Up-to-the-minute PFL Africa results include:
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dakota Ditcheva channeling Khabib Nurmagomedov as she targets MMA's improbable records
Dakota Ditcheva is ignoring the naysayers and targeting one of the more improbable records in all of mixed martial arts. Ditcheva, 26, became the youngest champion in PFL history in 2024, and now returns to fight on July 19 for the first time since her breakout $1 million tournament success. The striker meets Sumiko Inaba in a women's flyweight bout in the co-main event of PFL's debut trip to the GrandWest Arena in Cape Town, South Africa. Johnny Eblen fights Costello van Steenis in the headline bout, while high-flyer A.J. McKee also takes on Akhmed Magomedov in his first bout since a 2024 split decision loss to Paul Hughes. Advertisement 'It's going to be a really good matchup,' Ditcheva told Uncrowned ahead of her first fight in seven months. 'Nobody can say [Inaba has] not proven herself. I've seen her around … I have taken it seriously.' Success on fight night isn't the only thing Ditcheva has on her mind, because she wants to be a Khabib Nurmagomedov or Floyd Mayweather for the new era. She wants to storm in, create a legacy, and retire at the top of the sport with an undefeated record in tow. Nurmagomedov (29-0) famously ran a gauntlet at lightweight, beating Rafael dos Anjos, Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, before calling the curtain on his UFC career with a triangle choke over Justin Gaethje in front of only a handful of people at a behind-closed-doors, COVID-era bubble in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mayweather (50-0), too, dominated his discipline, retiring as a near-billionaire in boxing after wins over Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and McGregor, among many others. Advertisement 'People always say there'll always be someone there who can beat you, but, who says? Why do people say that?" Ditcheva asked. "Why accept you're going to get beat at one point? That's not the mentality you should have.' Ditcheva is already 14-0 with 13 wins by finish (12 knockouts and one submission). Only Paula Cristina has taken her the distance in just Ditcheva's fifth pro fight, and that hasn't happened again in more than three years. The PFL star is an even greater talent these days, showing a particularly nasty appetite for finishing fights with brutal body shots — like her signature win over the one-time UFC flyweight title challenger Taila Santos this past November in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Uncrowned recognized her exploits by touting her as one of MMA's breakout athletes of 2024, and the combat sports industry ended the year talking up a possible future fight between herself and the UFC flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko. Advertisement By many metrics, Dakota is PFL's biggest homegrown star since Kayla Harrison, who herself is on the cusp of a generational showdown as UFC bantamweight champion against Amanda Nunes — a bout Ditcheva said she'd struggle to watch because she has a relationship with both of American Top Team's championship athletes. Victory over Inaba later this month would advance Ditcheva's professional record to 15-0, but she refuses to stop there. 'If you get beat, it happens,' she said. 'But that's not something I think about. I think about staying undefeated [and going to] 15-0, 30-0, 60-0. 'I'm not thinking about one loss on my record. Hell, no. It's not going to happen for me.' Why accept you're going to get beat at one point? That's not the mentality you should have. Dakota Ditcheva Should Ditcheva keep tallying wins, her growing reputation in combat sports will no doubt transition from that of a breakout performer to a top-tier pound-for-pound sensation. She's already envisioning a dream fight at the 53,000-capacity Etihad Stadium, home of English Premier League giant Manchester City. It's a venue that beloved British boxer Ricky Hatton once fought in, having defeated Juan Lazcano in a homecoming bout back in 2008. Ditcheva wants to be the first MMA fighter to headline the venue. Advertisement '[Fighting at the] Etihad is my dream,' she said. 'We'll have the full Manchester City team [in attendance]. I might even have [City coach] Pep [Guardiola] in the corner, and have him walk me out. 'He's very strategic about mindset,' Ditcheva added of the three-time UEFA Champions League-winning coach. 'He'd be a good person to have in the corner. We need to make that happen so he can walk me out before he retires.' As for the dream opponent, Ditcheva stopped short of name-checking Shevchenko, considering the Kyrgyzstani fighter competes in a rival organization. 'Whoever the best girl is at that time,' she said instead. For now, though, Ditcheva simply wants to help PFL make history in new grounds in South Africa against Inaba, before reclaiming her PFL flyweight belt before the end of the year. Advertisement "I want to be busy,' she said. 'I want to have my belt back by the end of the year. Whichever girl wins, I'll take it from them, for sure. That's my belt. And I'm excited to get it back.' Considering the spectacularly violent nature of her wins to date, few should bet against her.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dakota Ditcheva: Long layoff 'kind of worth it' to fight at PFL Africa debut
Dakota Ditcheva: Long layoff 'kind of worth it' to fight at PFL Africa debut Dakota Ditcheva is glad to be back in action at PFL Champions Series: Africa following a period of inactivity that left her frustrated. After being sidelined since October, Ditcheva revealed in April some of her disappointment with PFL not putting her back in the cage on a timeline she desired in an interview with MMA Junkie. Shortly thereafter, news came she would be returning to competition in the summer. Although Ditcheva (14-0) said her comments caused some awkwardness with PFL behind the scenes, she said it ultimately worked out in her favor. She will now face Sumiko Inaba (8-1) on the July 19 card in Cape Town, the inaugural event for the PFL in South Africa. "This sport takes you places you probably wouldn't be able to visit if it didn't have organizations like this taking it around the world," Ditcheva said. "You have to be very grateful with the opportunity you get in MMA and being able to be co-main event on a card like this to make history, it's crazy to me. I guess the wait this year was kind of worth it." Ditcheva, 26, said her communication with the PFL brass has somewhat improved, along with her understanding of the hectic schedule the brass is pushing through to grow the brand across the globe. Whether she is part of that for the long term remains to be seen, because she said she is still "figuring a few things out" and negotiating specifics. One thing Ditcheva is confident in, however, is more consistent activity. She said the company has obligations to honor, and if she gets past Inaba, who is a name she has to take "serious," then she will be eying the winner of the 2025 PFL World Tournament in the women's flyweight division. "I haven't really got much direction yet," Ditcheva said. "I know they are going to keep me busy. They have to. You will see me fight again this year for sure. ... I'm hungry. How they have another champ this year when I won it last year? They should be challenging me, not all fighting each other to get another belt. "Why am I not in that tournament defending my belt? It just makes me hungry. This fight isn't for a belt, so I'm still going to go with the same hunger, but I'm going to make a statement to everyone that the belt they're fighting for this year should be mine, not theirs."
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
PFL announces Dakota Ditcheva will return this summer
PFL announces Dakota Ditcheva will return this summer Dakota Ditcheva asked – and now PFL says she'll receive. One day after Ditcheva (14-0) told MMA Junkie she was "gutted" by the lack of activity, it was announced on the 2025 PFL World Tournament 3 broadcast Friday she'll return in July. No date, location, or opponent coincided with this announcement. "I did just have a great chat with Donn (Davis). I did actually," Ditcheva said on the broadcast. "I'm being a little bit more hopeful now. I think people are really getting a little bit more stressed that they weren't going to have me fight this year. But guys, I'm coming back. Don't worry." Ditcheva, 26, broke through as a star in the promotion in 2024 as she went 4-0 with four finishes en route to a 2024 PFL women's flyweight championship. Ditcheva has not competed since November when she finished former UFC title challenger Taila Santos with strikes in less than two full rounds.
