Exclusive Q&A: PFL star Dakota Ditcheva explains her 'killer instinct' ahead of Sumiko Inaba test

Dakota Ditcheva (14-0) will face Sumiko Inaba (8-1) in the co-main event of the PFL Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, on 19 July. A new challenge for the unbeaten champion of the 2024 PFL world tournament.

DAZN News spoke to Dakota Ditcheva ahead of her next fight. The opportunity to discuss her new status and the 26-year-old fighter's upcoming challenges.

DAZN News: You started out with the Manchester top team and are now with the American top team. Why did you change your gym?

Dakota Ditcheva: I've been there now for three years. I was happy at Top Team, but I wanted to come to the States to see what level I was at. With the girls in the UK, there's no one to train with, so I was just training with boys. When I first came over to the States, I came for four weeks just to get some training in at different gyms. I went to Vegas, I came here to Florida, and I went to California just to see what level I was at. I was about to do my PFL debut, so I wanted to make sure I was ready. But when I came to American Top Team, I loved the place, I loved the gym. And also I was going through some tough things at home, and I felt like here was a bit of a better environment for me. I actually stayed for the rest of my camp and then I decided I was going to keep coming back because there's a much better life for me here.

DN: You won the World Tournament in your last fight. How did you deal with this new status?

DD: It was amazing. I'm very happy. Life's still the same, though. Nothing's changed, but I just have a shiny new belt and a lot of money in the bank.

DN: There is Kayla Harrison, now UFC champ. She was a PFL champion before she joined the UFC. Do you think you're the best flyweight in the world?

DD: I am definitely the best flyweight in the world, for sure. But yeah, Kayla has just won her new belt at bantamweight. She's definitely had an amazing career. For the last few fights that she's going to have, she's going to go out as a GOAT, for sure.

DN: Why do you think you're the best?

DD: My skill level, my stoppages, everything. The whole thing, the whole package. In this sport, I feel like you have to be a little bit of a personality as well. I feel like I've definitely got that, for sure.

DN: What do you think of your opponent, Sumiko Inaba?

DD: Very good, very good striker. I haven't really seen her around a lot, but she's been around for a while in Bellator before it merged with the PFL. So I know that she's going to come and bring a lot of striking into the game, which is good for me. That's what I want.

DN: Any prediction?

DD: A stoppage, for sure. They've left me eight months without a fight. I've got a lot of things to let out. So it's going to be crazy. I'd say round one. I want to say round one. 

DN: You will be fighting in the first card of PFL Africa. How does that feel?

DD: I'm excited. It's crazy to think that I'm going to South Africa. It's very far, but I'm happy to be part of the first event there. We're going to kick it all off again. So yeah, it's going to be something very new, very different. I'm excited.

DN: Any prediction for the main event between Johnny Eblen - that you know because you're training in the same place - and Costello van Steenis?

DD: What an amazing fight... It's an interesting fight, but I definitely think Johnny Eblen is going to 100% win. He's not going to let his belt go, for sure. He loves that thing. And he just loves to fight, so I don't think he's going to have any worries there.

DN: None of your nine PFL fights have gone to a decision. You make it look easy. What is the secret?

DD: My mum’s genes, that’s what it is. It’s all from my mum. She used to be a world champion, so I definitely feel like she gave me a cheat code, for sure. I think just the other thing is that I have an aggression and a killer instinct that you don’t see in a lot of fighters. A lot of people just come to fight - and I come in there to kill somebody. I feel like that’s the big difference with me.

DN: You won the Europe Tournament, you won the PFL World Tournament. Have you spoken to the PFL about fighting for the world title?

DD: I speak to PFL a lot. I feel like I won last year, but now this year I’m not the champion, which is confusing for me. It doesn’t make sense. This year, the girls that are fighting in the tournament will be the new champion, the winner of that. Then I will probably have to challenge them at the end of the year. Things are a little bit weird at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll get my belt back soon anyway, so it’s going to be fine.

DN: What does it mean to you to be one of the faces of women’s MMA?

DD: I mean, it’s crazy. It was never a goal of mine. I just wanted to fight. I wasn’t really too bothered about being popular or being the face of anything. But I mean, it’s an honour to have my face everywhere. And when people talk about MMA, they know me and my name. So it’s definitely a big achievement for me, for sure. But yeah, I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to achieve what I have and be at the forefront of that.

DN: Do you think you’re still in your prime or can you still progress?

DD: Still progress. I have a lot of learning to do. I still get beat in the gym. I still get humbled all the time. I feel like I’ve got a lot more to give and a lot more to learn, for sure. I’m still only turning 27 soon, and I feel like I’m going to reach my peak when I get to 30. If I’m this good now, then imagine what I’m going to be like at that time.

DN: Where can you still progress?

DD: Definitely still in striking. There’s so much. Each fight, I learn something new. I try different things. People probably just see me fight and think, “Wow, she stopped her again.” But there are still loads of different things that I’m working on in the gym and loads of things I’m learning about myself. I feel like I used to just get in and fight. Now I feel like I get in and I think a little bit more. My fight IQ is getting better. I still have to improve my jiu-jitsu and my wrestling, so that’s going to keep getting better and better. But striking is still something that I’m learning and something that I’ll forever keep getting better at.

DN: Could you move up to bantamweight one day to take on a new challenge?

DD: Possibly, yeah. I feel like flyweight at the moment, the weight is perfect for me. But as I get older and bigger and maybe I put a bit of weight on - and I run through everyone in the flyweight division and have no one left - then yeah, maybe you’ll see me at bantamweight.

DN: Why do you fight right now? Tefore there was the PFL Europe Tournament - you won it. After that, there was the PFL World Tournament - you won it. So what is your goal right now?

DD: Yeah, right now it’s just to win my fight. Because before the PFL belt, the Europe Tournament and the World Tournament, I just loved to fight. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t need a belt to make me get in the cage. I just want to get in there and fight somebody and do what I love. For me, even if I don’t get a belt for the next few years, I’m going to just keep getting in and winning. And that’s my goal. My goal is just to keep fighting and stay busy.

DN: You’re still undefeated. All the people want to see you lose. You’re always so confident as ever - how do you deal with that?

DD: I’m always confident because I believe in my skill. I know the work I put in the gym and the people I’m working with in the gym give me the confidence to know that when I get in the cage, nobody at my weight is going to be able to beat me, for sure. It doesn’t matter what all these girls say on social media. For me, I know the work I put in and the skill level that I have, so I’m confident when I get in the cage.

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