Dakota Ditcheva, an undefeated flyweight talent who debuted with the PFL in 2022, was being looked at as the new female face of the promotion by many – but on Friday at the PFL Championship 2024 card, she was paired up with a dangerous foe in former UFC star Taila Santos.
Santos, who took Valentina Shevchenko the distance and lost a close split decision in 2022, had stormed out of the gate in the PFL and defeated Bellator champ Liz Carmouche to land in the women’s flyweight finale opposite Ditcheva in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Forgoing a glove touch, Ditcheva and Santos got right to work in Friday’s co-main event, leg kicks flowing early from both fighters. Ditcheva switched stances, and added a front kick, as well as a crisp right hand that caused Santos to pursue a takedown about a minute in.
Ditcheva, back to the fence, displayed impressive balance however, and when they did go down it was Ditcheva on top, though she quickly backed off, allowing Santos up and taking the action back to her comfort zone. Ditcheva then clinched up, landing an elbow only to find herself backed up to the fence again. She would give up her back, fighting hands, but eventually broke free and spun out of the position. Going back on the attack, Ditcheva landed a right hand, and followed up with a few leg kicks. Santos fired back, pressing forward, but fell short on most of her punches. A front kick to the face landed for Ditcheva a moment later, forcing Santos back. A combination, right hands trailed by an elbow, followed that.
Following a strong opening round from Dakota Ditcheva, she went back to her front kick to open round two. This one was off the mark, and Santos attempted to punched her way into a clinch, getting a bodylock in place with Ditcheva standing alongside the cage. Dakota would fight that off, and go back to leading the dance in the stand-up battle, causing all sorts of problems for Santos, whose lead leg was starting to show the effects of repeated leg kicks landing. Later in the round, Dakota trapped Santos against the cage, firing off a combination with the Brazilian unable to do anything more than cover up. Moments later, with Santos just barely escaping, another volley followed.
Santos made a weak play for a takedown, but instead saw Dakota battered her with elbows, then ripped the body with a left hook. Doubled over, Santos took one or two more shots to the side, with the ref then waving off the affair.
Taila Santos, believed by many to be Dakota Ditcheva’s toughest test yet, proved to be just another name, en route to Ditcheva’s first PFL Global title. She adds that to her PFL Europe title, earned last year, and appears to have arrived as a bonafide star for the company.
Official Result: Dakota Ditcheva def. Taila Santos by TKO (body shots), Round 2, 4:41
