Feminine Fighter of the 12 months for 2024

In only one PFL season, Dakota Ditcheva went from an thrilling rising prospect to a longtime pound-for-pound-ranked fighter.

Coming into her first PFL common season, Manchester’s Ditcheva wasn’t a newcomer by any means, as she ended 2023 by successful the PFL Europe ladies’s flyweight championship. There was already loads of buzz round her resulting from her rising spotlight reel.

Nonetheless, coming into the primary PFL present stateside, there have been larger challenges forward. Bellator champions previous and current, former UFC title challengers, and PFL’s personal crop of expertise hungry for a $1 million match prize had been all standing in Ditcheva’s manner of proving herself as probably the greatest on this planet.

Not solely did Ditcheva go each check put in entrance of her, she destroyed her opponents whereas arguably turning into the face of the promotion. That’s why Ditcheva is MMA Junkie’s 2024 Feminine Fighter of the 12 months.

Ditcheva’s season started on April 4 in the primary card opener of 2024 PFL 1 in opposition to Lisa Mauldin. The 26-year-old placing specialist was an enormous favourite in accordance with oddsmakers, and she or he proved them right. Like a surgeon, Ditcheva discected her opponent with correct punches and kicks till Mauldin folded over from a physique shot at 3:54 within the first spherical.

2024 PFL 1: San Antonio Battle Night time on the Boeing Heart at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)

The victory earned six factors within the ladies’s flyweight standings, solely matched by former UFC title challenger Taila Santos, setting wheels in movement for what many anticipated to be the championship bout of the match.

Two months later at 2024 PFL 4, Ditcheva pulled away from the pack to solidify the No. 1 seed. Coming into as one other huge favourite in opposition to Chelsea Hackett, Ditcheva’s exact placing carried her to a different first-round end within the co-main occasion. Two fights down, two to go for a $1 million payday.

With the playoffs comes the next degree of competitors. Ditcheva’s semifinal playoff bout was in opposition to a harmful grappler in Jena Bishop, who was undefeated till a break up determination loss to Santos in her second common season bout. Oddsmakers acknowledged the step up, as Ditcheva was now not an astronomical favourite, but it surely didn’t matter.

Dakota Ditcheva def. Jena Bishop – 2024 PFL 7: Nashville Playoffs

Ditcheva floored Bishop just below 4 minutes into the combat, and delivered an animated post-fight interview. “We don’t do no break up choices round right here,” Ditcheva mentioned as she took photographs at Bishop and her crew.

Regardless of buzzsawing by the PFL match, Ditcheva turned conscious of criticizm. “She’s simply going to hitch the record of cans now,” Ditcheva mentioned, mocking not solely Bishop, however the notion from on-line chatter that every one of her opponents had been nobodies.

That may all change within the finals. PFL’s dream matchup got here to fruition. It was Ditcheva vs. Santos for all of the marbles at 2024 PFL Championship.

At UFC 275, Santos challenged for Valentina Shevchenko’s title and fought her to a break up determination, however solely earned one decide’s scorecard. Many believed Santos received that combat, however the loss would ship her on a path that led to her UFC exit after a unanimous determination loss in opposition to Erin Blanchfield.

Santos then made the bounce to PFL, immediately turning into one of many favorites to win the ladies’s flyweight match. It wasn’t a unanimous thought, nonetheless, however those that didn’t have her picked because the $1 million winner anticipated her flooring to be within the ultimate as a formidable check for Ditcheva.

The Brazilian held up her finish of the cut price by submitting Ilara Joanne, successful a break up determination over Bishop, and unanimously defeating former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche. She appeared as harmful as ever. It was now time for Ditcheva to show she may dangle with a legit prime flyweight.

As soon as once more, Ditcheva proved the naysayers flawed.

Dakota Ditcheva def Taila Santos – 2024 PFL Championship combat evening at King Saud College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)

The one feather Santos may put in her cap is that she was the one fighter in 2024 to take Ditcheva into the second spherical, however the combat would finish there. The lengthy entrance kicks and physique photographs mounted, finally crumbling Santos. Ditcheva did it; she turned PFL champion by stopping the previous UFC title challenger impressively.

Within the first USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie rankings of 2024, Ditcheva’s title was not current within the flyweight divison, nor within the ladies’s pound for pound lists. After her stellar 2024 run, Ditcheva vaulted into the rankings, claiming the No. 5 and No. 13 respectively because the 12 months involves a detailed.

The PFL season format is demanding. To win the $1 million prize, it requires successful 4 fights in eight months. Ditcheva made it look straightforward.

Dakota Ditcheva def Taila Santos – 2024 PFL Championship combat evening at King Saud College in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)

In a 12 months the place no present feminine UFC champion made a couple of look (Zhang Weili, UFC 300; Shevchenko, UFC 306; Julianna Peña, UFC 307), Ditcheva’s exercise mixed with repeatedly destroying elevated ranges of competitors whereas turning into the face of a significant promotion is why she deserves the Feminine Fighter of the 12 months award.