Manchester’s Dakota Ditcheva became the first British woman to secure an MMA world title, stopping Taila Santos in the second round to claim the PFL flyweight crown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The 26-year-old delivered a clinical performance, ending the bout with a series of devastating body shots to remain unbeaten in 14 professional fights, with 13 finishes. The victory also earned her a $1m (£785,000) prize.
“I just beat the best girl out there. The world is mine,” Ditcheva declared after her win, celebrating with her mother, former kickboxing world champion Lisa Howarth.
In contrast, fellow Mancunian Brendan Loughnane missed out on his second PFL featherweight title, losing by unanimous decision to Russia’s Timur Khizriev. Loughnane struggled to find rhythm and succumbed to Khizriev’s superior striking and grappling.
Ditcheva’s dominant victory solidifies her status as one of MMA’s rising stars, with fans and pundits hailing her as a future superstar in the sport.
