Watch Thad Jean score a vicious TKO at Thursday’s 2025 PFL World Tournament 1, then holler at PFL champ Dakota Ditcheva.
[autotag]Thad Jean[/autotag]’s post-fight callout was an unconventional one, to say the least.
Jean (9-0), who came through the PFL challenger series in 2023, picked up a nasty finish at Thursday’s 2025 PFL World Tournament 1 in Orlando, Fla. He dropped [autotag]Mukhamed Berkhamov[/autotag] (17-3) with a crisp left hand, and then jumped on him with some vicious ground-and-pound to seal the deal at 4:25 of Round 1.
After the finish, in his in-cage-post-fight interview, Jean had a message for 2024 PFL women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag].
“By the way, where’s Dakota Ditcheva?” Jean said. “Why is she not here? No, never mind, don’t say nothing. I want to see you June 12, Nashville. I’m not saying anything, though, come.”
Interesting callout aside, Jean continues to build momentum, still undefeated in MMA and adding his fifth career finish by TKO/KO. Jean, who trains out of Fight Sports Deerfield Beach in Florida, is now slatted to take on the winner of the 2025 PFL World Tournament 1 main event between Andrey Koreshkov and Jason Jackson.
Despite not being both in the 2025 PFL tournament, Taila Santos still wants her rematch against Dakota Ditcheva.
[autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag] wants a rematch with [autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag], but she wasn’t holding her breath on meeting her once again in a PFL tournament.
Santos (22-4) and Ditcheva (14-0) were the two finalists for last year’s PFL women’s flyweight tournament. It was a big fight for the promotion, as it pitted a former UFC title challenger against one of the best undefeated talents today. In the end, Ditcheva walked away with a finish, the 2024 PFL title, and the $1 million prize.
“Every fighter need to know how to handle a loss because a loss leaves you a lot more to learn than a win,” Santos told Hablemos MMA in Portuguese. “Defeats give you the chance to reflect and see what you need to improve. So I’m grateful for that loss. I can’t stay down and sad after winning three fights and then suffering a loss.
“As you said, that loss was very important to prepare and analyze what I need to improve on so I can evolve for this next season.”
Santos, who fought for a UFC title in 2020 in a close fight against champion Valentina Shevchenko, admits Ditcheva was a tough adversary. But on top of having a tough test, she also doesn’t feel like she showed up that night in the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight final.
“She’s very tall, and that was difficult. It was the first time I fought with someone that tall,” Ditcheva said. “Now, speaking about myself, I honestly wasn’t able to find my rhythm in that fight. I’m just speaking about me, not her. Athletes will understand me in the sense that you don’t always train well. You have bad days. Sometimes you do to the gym and you just don’t train well. That’s what happened that night. I couldn’t find myself. I wasn’t there in the fight.”
Santos, 31, meets fellow Brazilian Juliana Velasquez (13-3) in the opening round of this year’s tournament. She wasn’t shocked to see Ditcheva out of the 2025 tournament. Although her absence killed her chances of a potential rematch in the near future, Santos would like to run things back with her eventually.
“It didn’t surprise me,” Santos said when asked about Ditcheva not participating in the tournament. “I did think that maybe she wasn’t going to be in the tournament, trying to do other type of negotiations with PFL. I don’t know why she’s not in the tournament. Most champions usually return and participate again in the next tournaments. But even though she’s not in the tournament, people can still rematch her.
“PFL also does super fights, so maybe we can do a fight between us two again,” Santos said. “I think it will be very interesting to do a super fight, at the end of the year, December. It’s interesting that she’s not in the tournament, but we can rematch in a super fight.”
According to oddsmakers, there will be multiple new UFC champs by the end of 2025. Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses who they could be.
A new year is upon us, which means multiple UFC title fights are on the horizon over the next 12 months.
Every year, titles change hands in multiple divisions, but the question is, who will hear “and still” or “and the new” by the end of 2025?
In 2024, seven new champions were crowned. How many will there be this year? According to oddsmakers, we could see at least five, as top contenders in multiple divisions are favored to dethrone the current champion.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, Dan Tom, and host Danny Segura discuss their picks for who will close out 2025 with gold around their waist.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
Ditcheva had a star-making 2024 as she dominated the PFL season, standing out in a year when no UFC women’s champion defended their title more than once.
After claiming the PFL Europe championship in December, Ditcheva entered the big PFL regular season, on the hunt for more gold and the big $1 million prize.
Ditcheva stopped Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett, Jena Bishop, then got the matchup everyone hoped for in the championship against former UFC title challenger Taila Santos, and she stopped her too.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells, Dan Tom, and host Danny Segura discuss the Female Fighter of the Year, and if anyone else was deserving of the award.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses our Fighter of the Year awards, 2025 MMA predictions, plus we interview Eddie Alvarez.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Dan Tom, Matt Wells, Mike Bohn will join host Danny Segura live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
We chat with former UFC and Bellator champion [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag], who returns to the ring on Jan. 25 to headline BKFC Knucklemania 5 against fellow veteran Jeremy Stephens. We discuss his return fight and career, along with some of the recent things happening in MMA.
Last week, we announced the winners of MMA Junkie’s 2024 Male and Female Fighter of the Year. We reflect on the winners’ years, who were UFC champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and PFL’s [autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag], and discuss what could be in store for them in 2025.
Keeping the 2025 theme. The panel gives their bold predictions and wishes for MMA in 2025. We also discuss each chance of the current UFC champions being able to hold onto their belt till the end of the year.
Lastly, to end the show, we go over some of the recent headlines in MMA, including [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] returning to the UFC’s testing pool in hopes to make a comeback from retirement, [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]’s callout of [autotag]Robbie Lawler[/autotag] for BKFC fight, [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag]’s comments on a potential move to light heavyweight, and much more.
From rising prospect to pound-for-pound ranked, Dakota Ditcheva’s 2024 campaign was unmatched across the sport.
In just one PFL season, [autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] went from an exciting rising prospect to an established pound-for-pound-ranked fighter.
Entering her first PFL regular season, Manchester’s Ditcheva wasn’t a newcomer by any means, as she ended 2023 by winning the PFL Europe women’s flyweight championship. There was already plenty of buzz around her due to her growing highlight reel.
However, coming into the main PFL show stateside, there were bigger challenges ahead. Bellator champions past and present, former UFC title challengers, and PFL’s own crop of talent hungry for a $1 million tournament prize were all standing in Ditcheva’s way of proving herself as one of the best in the world.
Not only did Ditcheva pass every test put in front of her, she destroyed her opponents while arguably becoming the face of the promotion. That’s why Ditcheva is MMA Junkie’s 2024 Female Fighter of the Year.
Ditcheva’s season began on April 4 in the main card opener of 2024 PFL 1 against Lisa Mauldin. The 26-year-old striking specialist was a massive favorite according to oddsmakers, and she proved them correct. Like a surgeon, Ditcheva discected her opponent with accurate punches and kicks until Mauldin folded over from a body shot at 3:54 in the first round.
2024 PFL 1: San Antonio Fight Night at the Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (Matt Ferris / PFL)
The victory earned six points in the women’s flyweight standings, only matched by former UFC title challenger Taila Santos, setting wheels in motion for what many expected to be the championship bout of the tournament.
Two months later at 2024 PFL 4, Ditcheva pulled away from the pack to solidify the No. 1 seed. Entering as another massive favorite against Chelsea Hackett, Ditcheva’s precise striking carried her to another first-round finish in the co-main event. Two fights down, two to go for a $1 million payday.
With the playoffs comes a higher level of competition. Ditcheva’s semifinal playoff bout was against a dangerous grappler in Jena Bishop, who was undefeated until a split decision loss to Santos in her second regular season bout. Oddsmakers acknowledged the step up, as Ditcheva was no longer an astronomical favorite, but it didn’t matter.
Ditcheva floored Bishop just under four minutes into the fight, and delivered an animated post-fight interview. “We don’t do no split decisions around here,” Ditcheva said as she took shots at Bishop and her team.
Despite buzzsawing through the PFL tournament, Ditcheva became aware of criticizm. “She’s just going to join the list of cans now,” Ditcheva said, mocking not only Bishop, but the notion from online chatter that all of her opponents were nobodies.
That would all change in the finals. PFL’s dream matchup came to fruition. It was Ditcheva vs. Santos for all the marbles at 2024 PFL Championship.
At UFC 275, Santos challenged for Valentina Shevchenko’s title and fought her to a split decision, but only earned one judge’s scorecard. Many believed Santos won that fight, but the loss would send her on a path that led to her UFC exit after a unanimous decision loss against Erin Blanchfield.
Santos then made the jump to PFL, instantly becoming one of the favorites to win the women’s flyweight tournament. It wasn’t a unanimous thought, however, but those who didn’t have her picked as the $1 million winner expected her floor to be in the final as a formidable test for Ditcheva.
The Brazilian held up her end of the bargain by submitting Ilara Joanne, winning a split decision over Bishop, and unanimously defeating former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche. She appeared as dangerous as ever. It was now time for Ditcheva to prove she could hang with a legit top flyweight.
Once again, Ditcheva proved the naysayers wrong.
Dakota Ditcheva def Taila Santos – 2024 PFL Championship fight night at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)
The only feather Santos could put in her cap is that she was the only fighter in 2024 to take Ditcheva into the second round, but the fight would end there. The long front kicks and body shots mounted, eventually crumbling Santos. Ditcheva did it; she became PFL champion by stopping the former UFC title challenger impressively.
In the first USA TODAY SPORTS/MMA Junkie rankings of 2024, Ditcheva’s name was not present in the flyweight divison, nor in the women’s pound for pound lists. After her stellar 2024 run, Ditcheva vaulted into the rankings, claiming the No. 5 and No. 13 respectively as the year comes to a close.
The PFL season format is demanding. To win the $1 million prize, it requires winning four fights in eight months. Ditcheva made it look easy.
Dakota Ditcheva def Taila Santos – 2024 PFL Championship fight night at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Jose Peñuela / PFL)
In a year where no current female UFC champion made more than one appearance (Zhang Weili, UFC 300; Shevchenko, UFC 306; Julianna Peña, UFC 307), Ditcheva’s activity combined with continuously destroying increased levels of competition while becoming the face of a major promotion is why she deserves the Female Fighter of the Year award.
Dakota Ditcheva wants to be tested after destroying the competition en route to the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight title.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] wants to be tested after destroying the competition en route to the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight title.
Ditcheva (14-0) cleaned up in the promotion’s inaugural women’s 125-pound season. She stopped Lisa Mauldin, Chelsea Hackett and Jena Bishop in Round 1 to reach the finals, where she brutalized former UFC title challenger Taila Santos to win the $1 million prize.
There were questions about how good the 29-year-old from England truly was after an undefeated career start against largely unproven competition. She answered many of those questions with the performance against Santos, and Ditcheva said she can feel the sentiment toward her starting to change.
“I knew who I was up against and it was a very exciting matchup for me,” Ditcheva told MMA Junkie Radio. “It was obviously a big moment for me to fight somebody like Santos, and I feel like I went into it with the right mindset, unlike her. I feel like she underestimated me a lot, for sure. She just thought I was a barbie. I don’t think she took me serious at all. It’s a massive win for me.
“I feel like I’ve gained a lot of respect from people now, which is nice. I’m not asking people to be singing and dancing, but people are definitely taking me seriously as a fighter now, which is nice to see.”
With Ditcheva’s stock climbing in a significant way, PFL will have to decide how to best use her in 2025. The promotion has not clarified whether it intends to run another season in her weight class, or whether she could move to its Super Fight PPV series.
Ditcheva said she’s open to all paths forward, so long as it feels like a level up. She doesn’t want to face recycled names in a season format, and hopes PFL can bring something fresh to the table.
“If you put me in another season again, another tournament, that’s going to be where my head goes and I’ll be back on the track of, ‘I’ve got to win this tournament,'” Ditcheva said. “But, I feel like you’ve got to give me something that’s going to mentally push me. I don’t want to be fighting the same people. Realistically I don’t feel like that would be a good thing for them to do. It’s got to be like someone better, a bigger challenge.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,521, the fellas recap UFC 310, the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year. The World MMA Awards also went down in Las Vegas, and the fellas give their thoughts on the show. They also welcome in PFL 2024 women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] for a chat. Tune in!
Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following 2024 PFL Championship in Riyadh.
2024 PFL Championship took place this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and it produced a massive update in the women’s rankings.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] stopped Taila Santos in the women’s flyweight championship bout in a stellar performance to claim the title and $1 million.
Entering the week at No. 14, Ditcheva’s performance vaulted her to No. 5, replacing Santos.
Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
Dakota Ditcheva’s $1 million PFL title win over Taila Santos was an eye opener, and now we ponder if she’s better than her UFC counterparts.
[autotag]Dakota Ditcheva[/autotag] achieved a breakthrough moment in more ways than one this past Friday at 2024 PFL Championship.
Ditcheva (14-0) completed a one-sided run through the women’s flyweight season when she defeated former UFC title challenger Taila Santos by second-round TKO to claim the belt and $1 million prize. Additionally, the 26-year-old became the youngest PFL season winner of all time.
The manner in which she dismantled Santos and the previous opponents before her has garnered plenty of attention toward the Brit, and it has some in the MMA community craving matchups with the best UFC women’s flyweights.
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On Monday’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel of Mike Bohn, Matthew Wells and Brian “Goze” Garcia joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to debate where Ditcheva stacks up among the best in the world, what’s next for her in the PFL and much more.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and check out this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube or in podcast form.
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