Dakota Ditcheva is already at the top of the food chain, according to Dan Hardy.
Ditcheva (15-0) has been on a sensational run since signing with the PFL in 2022. The UK star captured both the PFL Europe and PFL World Tournament titles over the past two years, defeating every opponent the promotion has put in front of her.
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Hardy (now serving as the PFL’s head of fighter operations) believes Ditcheva is more than just a hot prospect. In his view, she already belongs in the same conversation as the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter, flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 15-3-1 UFC).
“I Would Put My Money on Her Against Valentina”
“I would put my money on her against Valentina right now,” Hardy told MMA Fighting. “That’s with all due respect to Valentina, who I’ve held in high regard for a long time. The thing that Valentina always made challenging about my job when I was doing Inside the Octagon for the UFC was there’s no highlight reel moments in her fights really. Very, very rarely — and that’s because she completely dominates people with just this steady pace.
“The kind of person that would break that style of fighting is someone that attacks ferociously. Like Dakota’s got the height and reach, the power, she’s got the viciousness, and the reality is American Top Team is probably one of the toughest mats, especially for a female fighter.”
More Than Just a Striker
Ditcheva transitioned to mixed martial arts after a highly successful Muay Thai career as a teenager. With twelve knockout wins already on her professional record, “Dangerous” is widely regarded as one of the most feared strikers in women’s MMA today. Still, Hardy insists that the rest of her skill set should not be underestimated.
“I’ve got to expect her to at least hold her own on the ground with Valentina, if not be able to defend the takedowns,” Hardy said. “I think Dakota beats anybody right now in her weight class.
“I think pound-for-pound, if she’s not top three, then I’m crazy. I think she has a damn good chance against anybody and even going up to bantamweight and fighting there and having a lot of success there as well.
Built for MMA Greatness
“She is ideally built to be a striker in mixed martial arts,” Hardy said. “She’s got that ability to have those long-range limbs to attack you with. She can be overbearing like Anderson Silva was with his clinch against the likes of Rich Franklin. I feel like she’s physiologically built for mixed martial arts and also for the skill set that she’s got. She could be a fantastic Muay Thai fighter, but if she was 5-foot-2, it wouldn’t be nearly as effective with the skills that she’s got.
“I also feel like she’s early in her career, too, which is quite terrifying. She’s achieved so much already, and that’s why I feel like bantamweight could be in her future because she’s going to certainly be able to shift gears and add more power to her frame.”
With Hardy’s backing and an unbeaten record to her name, Ditcheva’s rise shows no signs of slowing down. If “Dangerous” keeps dismantling opponents at her current pace, it may only be a matter of time before she’s not just compared to the best, but considered the very best herself.
