Dakota Ditcheva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dakota Ditcheva |
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| Born | Dakota Lili-Joa Ditcheva 25 July 1998 Sale, Greater Manchester, England |
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| Other names | Dangerous | |||||||||||||
| Nationality |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 125 lb (57 kg; 8 st 13 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Division | Flyweight | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 70 in (178 cm) | |||||||||||||
| Style | Muay Thai, Kickboxing | |||||||||||||
| Fighting out of | Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England | |||||||||||||
| Team | Manchester Top Team | |||||||||||||
| Years active | 2012–present | |||||||||||||
| Kickboxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 11 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Mixed martial arts record | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 14 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 14 | |||||||||||||
| By knockout | 12 | |||||||||||||
| By submission | 1 | |||||||||||||
| By decision | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Other information | ||||||||||||||
| Notable relatives | Lisa Howarth (mother) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dakota Lili-Joa Ditcheva (Bulgarian: Дакота Дичева) was born on July 25, 1998. She is an English mixed martial artist and used to be a Muay Thai fighter. Currently, she competes in the Flyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). In 2016, she won a gold medal at the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur World Championships. Dakota is a three-time junior world champion and was named Young Sportsperson of the Year by the Daily Mirror and Sport England.
Contents
About Dakota's Early Life
Dakota Ditcheva was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, England, on July 25, 1998. She grew up in a family where martial arts were very important. Her father is from Bulgaria. Her mother, Lisa Howarth, was a world champion in kickboxing many times. This inspired Dakota to get into combat sports from a young age.
How She Started Fighting
Dakota began training in different martial arts when she was young. These included kickboxing, Muay Thai, and later, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Before becoming a professional mixed martial artist, she won championships in both kickboxing and Muay Thai. In May 2016, she proudly represented Great Britain. She won a gold medal in the junior 57 kg division at the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) World Championships.
Her Background and Hobbies
Dakota feels connected to both England and Bulgaria. She often shows flags from both countries. She can speak a little Bulgarian and visits her relatives there several times a year. Dakota is also a big fan of the football club Manchester City. After winning her fights, she often copies the goal celebrations of Manchester City players.
Dakota's Mixed Martial Arts Journey
Dakota started her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in April 2021. Her first fight was at Cage Steel 25, where she won in the first round. Five months later, she won her second fight at Celtic Gladiator 30 in a similar way.
Early Wins in MMA
At UKFC 17, Dakota won her fight in the first round. Her strong performances caught the eye of bigger fighting organizations. This led her to fight at PAWFC 1 in Canada. There, she won her fight in the second round. After that, she competed at UAE Warriors 28, winning by a unanimous decision.
Joining the Professional Fighters League
In July 2022, Dakota signed with the PFL. This was a big step in her career.
Her First PFL Fights
For her PFL MMA debut at PFL 9 in London, Dakota won in the first round. At PFL 10, she got another first-round knockout. This was her sixth knockout win as a professional fighter.
PFL Europe Success
Dakota continued her winning streak in the PFL Europe season. On March 25, 2023, at PFL Europe 1, she won her fight in the first round. She then faced Cornelia Holm in the semifinals at PFL Europe 3 on September 30, 2023. Dakota won this fight with a knockout in the third round.
In the PFL Europe Women's Flyweight final, Dakota fought Valentina Scatizzi at PFL Europe 4 on December 8, 2023. She won the fight when the doctor stopped it between rounds. This was because her opponent's eye was too swollen to continue.
Recent PFL Fights and Championship
Dakota faced Lisa Mauldin at PFL 1 on April 4, 2024, and won by technical knockout. She then fought Chelsea Hackett on June 13, 2024, at PFL 4, winning in the first round.
On August 2, 2024, at PFL 7, Dakota faced Jena Bishop in the semi-finals. She won this fight in the first round. In the final, Dakota fought Taila Santos on November 29, 2024, at PFL 10. She won the tournament and a $1 million prize. Dakota became the first person to finish Santos in a fight. She also became the youngest champion in PFL history and the first British female MMA world champion.
What Dakota Has Achieved
Dakota Ditcheva has won many awards and championships in her fighting career.
Mixed Martial Arts Awards
- Professional Fighters League
- 2024 PFL Women's Flyweight Championship: This means she was the best female flyweight fighter in the PFL in 2024.
- 2023 PFL Europe Women's Flyweight Championship: She was the top female flyweight fighter in PFL Europe in 2023.
- Bloody Elbow
- 2024 Breakout Star of the Year: She shared this award with Joaquin Buckley.
- Cageside Press
- 2024 Female Fighter of the Year
Muay Thai Awards
- International Sport Kickboxing Association
- 2016 ISKA Muay Thai British Super Atomweight (-50.5 kg) Championship
- International Federation of Muaythai Associations
- 2016 IFMA World Muaythai Championships in Jönköping, Sweden
Female Junior -57 kg
- 2016 IFMA World Muaythai Championships in Jönköping, Sweden
Images for kids
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A gold medal, representing Dakota's win at the IFMA World Championships.
See also
- List of female mixed martial artists
- List of current PFL fighters
