MMA: Dakota Ditcheva will “keep pushing” to bring PFL to Manchester
Dakota Ditcheva says she is determined to bring the PFL to Manchester now that she is flyweight world champion.
Dicheva grew up in Manchester and made history in November when she became First British woman to win MMA world Grand Slam title In PFL, UFC or Bellator.
The 26-year-old hopes her next fight will be in her hometown, having spent all of 2024 fighting in the United States and Saudi Arabia.
“For me now, it’s crazy to be the first female world champion from Britain,” Dicheva told BBC Sport.
“But that’s why I feel it’s important for me to keep pushing for the Manchester card now and get as much as I can in Manchester because I want to be able to take it home with me.
“I don’t want everything to go to America. I want everyone to be able to enjoy it here and we build a fan base in the UK, which I feel like we’re not doing very well at the moment.”
The PFL usually plays its regular season games in the United States, except for the 2024 finals in Saudi Arabia.
Unlike the UFC, it uses a tournament system where new champions are crowned in their respective divisions every year.
Dicheva has never fought in Manchester during her professional MMA career, but she did fight there in 2023 PFL European Series.
