Dakota Ditcheva, undefeated and unfiltered, has made it plain: she wants the biggest challenge, and she doesn’t care whose logo is on the gloves. The Manchester flyweight, recently crowned champion in the PFL, has her sights set on Valentina Shevchenko – a name synonymous with dominance in the UFC.
Dakota Ditcheva vs. Valentina Shevchenko
For fans versed in MMA’s usual tribal lines, the prospect of a PFL vs. UFC champion showdown isn’t just rare; it’s almost heretical. Yet Ditcheva, never shy in the cage or at the microphone, is all-in. “I don’t know if UFC super-fight is in my immediate future, but if PFL champ versus UFC champ happens, I’m happy to do it. That would be a serious, history-making fight,” she said without hesitation speaking to Ariel Helwani.
Ditcheva’s rise has been relentless. Still unbeaten, she’s built her record with knockouts and first-round finishes. What’s next for Dakota Ditechva? Her answer is direct – bring on Valentina Shevchenko, the UFC champion.
Shevchenko is a future Hall of Famer, the archetype of the modern MMA champion – skilled, clinical, with a trophy case that spans continents and rule sets. The fact that Ditcheva even names her shows how swiftly PFL’s new star has outgrown prospect status.
Ditcheva isn’t pounding the drum for her own ego. She’s keenly aware of the business side of fighting and doesn’t mind nudging her own promotion. “The fight game is about big fights. PFL needs to evolve beyond tournaments and make the biggest fights possible to grow the fan base.”
“I don’t quite understand why I’m not the PFL women’s flyweight champion yet. They changed a lot of things. I was champion of the season last year, but now they’re not really calling me champion. It doesn’t make sense.”
When Ditcheva squared off with Taila Santos, it was billed as a clash between PFL’s new blood and a former UFC title contender whose durability is legendary. Ditcheva dispatched Santos with a TKO in the second round, proof that her striking isn’t just flashy. Santos, who’d gone the distance with Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC, saw her PFL run end under Ditcheva’s fists. While Shevchenko needed a razor-close split decision to keep her belt against Santos, Ditcheva removed any need for debate, finishing the job definitively.
“I resigned with PFL through 2027. I’m happy with the agreement. I’ve got time limits in my contract where they need to keep me active. I want to build the division and keep fighting the best girls.”
On paper, it’s a classic: Ditcheva’s striking-heavy, Muay Thai-rooted style versus Shevchenko’s methodical, seasoned, all-around game – with a background in kickboxing and Muay Thai. Ditcheva’s knockout string is impressive, but Shevchenko has made a career out of puncturing the mystique of fast-rising challengers. It’s speed, risk, and hunger against experience, polish, and calculation.
As with all cross-promotional flirtations, reality is complicated. Contracts, egos, and executive caution are perennial stumbling blocks. But Ditcheva’s challenge puts the conversation firmly on the table. She’s called her shot, and now the question isn’t whether she’ll back it up, but whether Shevchenko, and the UFC, are game.
