Women’s Bantamweight prospect of the year: Ekaterina Shakalova (7-1)
Women’s bantamweight didn’t have a lot of standouts in 2022. Shakalova only fought once but it was an impressive performance. She got a first-round finish and took home the vacant Fight Exclusive Night (FEN) title. Shakalova is a three-time grappling world champion and a four-time European grappling champion. Eyes were already on Shakalova so winning a title put the icing on the cake.
Women’s Flyweight prospect of the year: Dakota Ditcheva (7-0)
Ditcheva had a heck of a year. Some may be disappointed she signed with PFL but it’s a really good move for her considering she’s only 24. This year she fought twice in PFL and four times altogether. She won all four fights and in PFL she’s scored two big first-round TKOs. A little more info on Ditcheva is she has an extensive Muay Thai background and a very successful one at that. She is a British Muay Thai champion and a member of the British team that won the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur World Championships in Jönköping, Sweden. She’s also a three-time world champion.
Women’s Strawweight prospect of the year: Valesca Machado (12-3, 1 NC)
From ending 2021 losing on the Contender Series, 2022 was a great rebound year for the Brazilian. Machado took one regional fight early in the year and then signed with Invicta FC. She went 3-0 in the Invicta cage beating girls with a combined 29-8 record. Machado fought in a four-woman one-night tournament to crown a new Invicta champ. She beat Ediana Silva and then fellow Contender Series alum Karolina Wójcik to claim the title. What a year for her.
