Dakota Ditcheva delivered another emphatic performance to stop Taila Santos in the second round and become the first British woman to win an MMA world title.
Manchester’s Ditcheva, 26, ended the contest with a flurry of body shots to secure the Professional Fighters League (PFL) flyweight title and $1m (£785,000) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The victory extends the unbeaten start to her career to 14, a run which has seen a remarkable 13 stoppages.
“I’ve been telling you, I’ve tried to tell you, I just keep proving them wrong,” said Ditcheva.
“The world is mine. I just beat the best girl out there. Me and PFL will come out with something amazing again.”
In the main event, fellow Mancunian Brendan Loughnane missed out on a second PFL featherweight world title as he lost by unanimous decision to Russia’s Timur Khizriev.
Loughnane, 34, was cut on the bridge of the nose early in the fight and struggled to find his rhythm against 29-year-old Khizriev, who extended his unbeaten run to 18.
Ditcheva makes ‘toughest test’ look easy
Ditcheva came into the bout as arguably the PFL’s biggest female star after a remarkable start to her MMA career.
Since joining the PFL in 2022, she has won nine fights all by stoppage, with seven of her wins coming in the first round.
Brazil’s Santos, 31, is a former UFC flyweight title challenger and was tipped to provide the toughest test of Ditcheva’s career, but like many previous opponents, the Briton made it look easy.
After winning last year’s PFL Europe flyweight title, Ditcheva has transitioned effortlessly to the global stage, securing three first-round knockouts to set up the showpiece bout with Santos.
Ditcheva looked relaxed during her walkout, despite the magnitude of the occasion, dancing her way to the cage as a pocket of fans from the UK cheered the Manchester fighter.
Ditcheva opened the contest with a trio of leg kicks, setting the tone for a dominant performance by navigating the grappling exchanges well.
She outclassed Santos on the feet, attacking with an array of kicks, knees, elbows and punches, bringing “oohs” from the crowd, as the Brazilian struggled to defend herself.
A thudding knee and flurry of body shots midway through the second round signalled the end as the referee stepped in, crowning Ditcheva Britain’s first female MMA world champion.
She celebrated by putting lipstick on in the centre of the octagon, before embracing her team, including her mother and former kickboxing world champion Lisa Howarth, and roaring with joy.
“They’ve been talking, ‘she’s just a Barbie, she should be a model’. Well a model just beat you in round two, so shut up,” said Ditcheva
She then paid tribute to her family, adding: “I honestly could not do this without my team. I cried pretty much every day this camp.”
“These guys have kept me stuck together. My brother put his whole life on hold for me. He’s not even got a girlfriend because he’s always with me. This belt is for him.”
‘Ditcheva is going to be an absolute superstar’
Not only has Ditcheva broken Britain’s barren run for a female world champion, she has done it in a dominant fashion rarely seen in women’s MMA.
Her 13 finishes, 12 of them knockouts, make for a glittering resume and she has all the attributes to flourish at the very top of the sport.
She is creating viral moments, not only with her world-class striking, but with her ruthless personality, illustrated by her lipstick celebration after defeating Santos.
The UFC is seen as the golden standard in MMA and victory over a former title challenger in the promotion in Santos, is a big indicator she would be at home there.
Fans and pundits are already describing Ditcheva as being among the world’s best, with the Briton also becoming the PFL’s youngest ever champion at 26.
Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg congratulated Ditcheva, saying: “Spacing, timing, distance. Dakota Ditcheva is dangerous and only getting better with each performance.”
British UFC featherweight and fellow Mancunian Lerone Murphy added: “The UFC should have got Dakota years ago. She’s making these girls looks amateur. Mad.”
Loughnane misses out on history
Loughnane was aiming to become the first British two-time MMA world champion following his success in 2022.
But throughout the fight, Loughnane – perhaps struggling with a leg injury according to the PFL’s commentary team – lacked the fluidity he has shown in previous bouts.
The first round saw Khizriev get the upper hand with the grappling, ducking under a Loughnane spinning back kick and controlling the action on the ground for the remainder of the round.
The Russian then showed he was equally dangerous in the striking department, stunning his opponent with an uppercut as blood started to pour from the Briton’s nose.
Another uppercut would follow, sending Loughnane’s mouthguard flying across the cage, before a takedown from Khizriev as the Briton wore a bemused expression on the canvas.
Loughnane started to find a home for his right hand in round four but Khizriev navigated the final round safely to clinch his first world title.
