In today’s world, Deepfakes and AI-generated images are becoming a major safety concern for humans, especially for women. A rapid surge has been seen from 2023 to 2026 in the number of deepfakes. Global estimates are skyrocketing to 8 million pieces of synthetic content, with women being the primary victims. And, female MMA athletes are now finding themselves increasingly vulnerable to this digital form of exploitation.

PFL’s undefeated flyweight star Dakota Ditcheva’s AI-generated images have been circulating online for quite some time now. These pictures depict something that Dakota wouldn’t generally post or do. The amount of hard work to maintain a clean, professional brand that she has put in needs no explaining. Female athletes already face inequality and are often taken seriously in a male-dominated sport, and with these AI misuses, it takes them back to being objectified.

Dakota Ditcheva speaks out against AI misuse

“I am seeing many different AI-generated photos of myself recently, spreading across multiple different social media platforms, that I am not ok with being made. It is upsetting and hurtful, especially when I try to keep my brand as clean as possible, to see edited photos.” She took to X sharing this heartfelt message.

Dakota finally spoke out, and it matters. Not because she is an undefeated MMA star, but because she gathered up the courage to speak out. Her skills speak for themselves and deserve utmost respect. Her wins, losses, and injuries can be argued upon, but no fan gets to redefine her character using a machine

She further added: “that I would not post/take myself. I am someone who cares heavily about what the younger generation will be following & this is not what I agree with. I hope people can spot the difference between my real content > the fake stuff. Please stop using my photos inappropriately.”

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At a time when generative AI is evolving rapidly in the name of experimental tech, Ditcheva’s message deserves to be heard. As citizens, we should understand and respect real athletes and try to report fake images instead of using them for entertainment (memes).

A battle beyond the cage for female MMA fighters

Dakota Ditcheva is not the sole female fighter who has faced this issue. Former UFC star Paige VanZant has also reported about facing similar issues during her fight career when manipulated and fake images circulated online. Another former UFC fighter, Rachael Ostovich, who later made her debut at BKFC, also faced the circulation of edited images when at the peak of her career in the sport. It is important to note that some of the images were created before generative AI came into the picture. These situations show us an underlying reality of women being objectified.

In both cases, the impact went far beyond social media noise. For Paige VanZant, the circulation of edited and misleading images created a perception among fans that often overshadowed her accomplishments inside the cage and reduced years of hard work. Rachael Ostovich also suffered, as manipulated content followed her during one of the most vulnerable periods of her career, bringing emotional stress while she tried to focus on MMA.

Neither woman gave her consent for these representations, but both were compelled to cope with the aftermath, a testament to the fact that for many female mixed martial artists, the struggle is far from over once the gloves are removed.