The world’s best fighters may compete in the UFC, but there are names who’ve been making some noise in rival promotions as well. Rising PFL flyweight contender Dakota Ditcheva, who’s 15-o in her pro career, is one of those names that MMA fans love to watch fight. They would have gotten the chance to watch her in action once more, but it appears that the plans have fallen through.

Dakota Ditcheva was scheduled to fight Denise Kielholtz at PFL: Road to Dubai on February 7. However, the British fighter will be sitting on the sidelines for an undisclosed period, as she revealed having suffered an injury during training. The 27-year-old opened up about her predicament and issued a statement after pulling out of her scheduled bout.

PFL Contender promises to emerge stronger

Dakota Ditcheva’s pullout is surely stinging the promotion but no one is more hurt than the English fighter herself, who claims to be “heartbroken” for having to withdraw from the Dubai event. “I cried [for] two days straight when I injured myself. Then cried again yesterday when it officially got announced,” Ditcheva wrote on her Instagram.

The undefeated flyweight star had been asking for fights and a busy schedule for a while, being vocal about her frustrations with the promotion during several interviews. In 2025, she got to fight just once, which left a sour taste in her mouth. Despite plans to be more active inside the SmartCage, Dakota Ditcheva now has to nurse her injury, for which she has apologized and has promised to come back stronger.

Top Stories

Brian Ortega Gives Classy Response to UFC Fans Rubbing Alex Pereira and Tracy Cortez’ Relationship in His Face

Sean O’Malley Labelled “Racist” by Song Yadong Over Conor McGregor-Style Antics Ahead of UFC 324

Joe Rogan Raises Alarming Doubt Over Tom Aspinall’s UFC Career After Eye Injury: “He’s Fu**ed Up”

Who Is Arman Tsarukyan’s Father? Nairi Tsarukyan’s Net Worth, Profession & Businesses

After Tracy Cortez Breakup, Brian Ortega Shares Emotional Confession on His Wife and Kids

“Dramatic, I know, but I wanted nothing more than to fight on that card and have an early start to 2026. Only fighting once last year was a nightmare for me, and I really wanted to make up for lost time,” Ditcheva added. “So sorry to [the PFL] & my opponent. & sorry to my friends, family, & fans who were excited to see me back out there in February. I am healthy and healing, I will be back before you know it.”

Well, there’s nothing we can do but wait for ‘Dangerous’ Dakota to make her way back from injury. But while she was slated to fight Denise Kielholtz in February, Ditcheva received a call-out from another contender, who’s a former UFC champion.

Cris Cyborg’s Post-Fight Comments Raise Questions

The PFL ended its 2025 season with three events in December. On the 14 December event in Lyon, former UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg competed for the inaugural PFL featherweight title against Sara Collins and registered a dominant submission win to claim the belt. Instead of choosing to revel in the moment, Cyborg decided to talk business.

The former UFC and current PFL champion did not mince words when she called out Dakota Ditcheva for her next fight. However, the 27-year-old flyweight was not her first option, but Cris Cyborg had claimed she’s open to fighting any one of them. She also announced that it’s going to be the last time she steps inside the cage.

“I would like to fight in MMA again next year, but it would be my last fight. I would like to do some boxing before I finish because I love it, maybe here in Lyon,” Cris Cyborg said in her post-fight interview. “I would like to fight Leah McCourt. If she is not available, I can go and cut weight and meet in the middle with Ditcheva. She is beating everybody in her division. We will think about what to do, but I believe it will be good.”

Well, Dakota Ditcheva has a pretty big opportunity to look forward to. Cris Cyborg is one of the biggest names in WMMA history, and a win over her would be a tremendous achievement. When do you see this fight materialize? Let us know in the comments section.