Ditcheva first British woman to win MMA world title as Loughnane beaten

Dakota Ditcheva delivered different emphatic show to halt Taila Santos successful the 2nd circular and go the archetypal British pistillate to triumph an MMA satellite title.

Manchester's Ditcheva, 26, ended the contention with a flurry of assemblage shots to unafraid the Professional Fighters League (PFL) flyweight rubric and $1m (£785,000) successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The triumph extends the unbeaten commencement to her vocation to 14, a tally which has seen a singular 13 stoppages.

"I've been telling you, I've tried to archer you, I conscionable support proving them wrong," said Ditcheva.

"The satellite is mine. I conscionable bushed the champion miss retired there. Me and PFL volition travel retired with thing astonishing again."

In the main event, chap Mancunian Brendan Loughnane missed retired connected a 2nd PFL featherweight satellite rubric arsenic helium mislaid by unanimous determination to Russia's Timur Khizriev.

Loughnane, 34, was chopped connected the span of the chemoreceptor aboriginal successful the combat and struggled to find his bushed against 29-year-old Khizriev, who extended his unbeaten tally to 18.

Ditcheva came into the bout arsenic arguably the PFL's biggest pistillate prima aft a singular commencement to her MMA career.

Since joining the PFL successful 2022, she has won 9 fights each by stoppage, with 7 of her wins coming successful the archetypal round.

Brazil's Santos, 31, is simply a erstwhile UFC flyweight rubric challenger and was tipped to supply the toughest trial of Ditcheva's career, but similar galore erstwhile opponents, the Briton made it look easy.

After winning past year's PFL Europe flyweight title, Ditcheva has transitioned effortlessly to the planetary stage, securing 3 first-round knockouts to acceptable up the showpiece bout with Santos.

Ditcheva looked relaxed during her walkout, contempt the magnitude of the occasion, dancing her mode to the cage arsenic a pouch of fans from the UK cheered the Manchester fighter.

Ditcheva opened the contention with a trio of limb kicks, mounting the code for a ascendant show by navigating the grappling exchanges well.

She outclassed Santos connected the feet, attacking with an array of kicks, knees, elbows and punches, bringing "oohs" from the crowd, arsenic the Brazilian struggled to support herself.

A thudding genu and flurry of assemblage shots midway done the 2nd circular signalled the extremity arsenic the referee stepped in, crowning Ditcheva Britain's archetypal pistillate MMA satellite champion.

She celebrated by putting lipstick connected successful the centre of the octagon, earlier embracing her team, including her parent and erstwhile kickboxing satellite champion Lisa Howarth, and roaring with joy.

"They've been talking, 'she's conscionable a Barbie, she should beryllium a model'. Well a exemplary conscionable bushed you successful circular two, truthful unopen up," said Ditcheva

She past paid tribute to her family, adding: "I honestly could not bash this without my team. I cried beauteous overmuch each time this camp."

"These guys person kept maine stuck together. My member enactment his full beingness connected clasp for me. He's not adjacent got a woman due to the fact that he's ever with me. This loop is for him."

Not lone has Ditcheva breached Britain's barren tally for a pistillate satellite champion, she has done it successful a ascendant manner seldom seen successful women's MMA.

Her 13 finishes, 12 of them knockouts, marque for a glittering resume and she has each the attributes to flourish astatine the precise apical of the sport.

She is creating viral moments, not lone with her world-class striking, but with her ruthless personality, illustrated by her lipstick solemnisation aft defeating Santos.

The UFC is seen arsenic the aureate modular successful MMA and triumph implicit a erstwhile rubric challenger successful the promotion successful Santos, is simply a large indicator she would beryllium astatine location there.

Fans and pundits are already describing Ditcheva arsenic being among the world's best, with the Briton besides becoming the PFL's youngest ever champion astatine 26.

Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg congratulated Ditcheva, saying: "Spacing, timing, distance. Dakota Ditcheva is unsafe and lone getting amended with each performance."

British UFC featherweight and chap Mancunian Lerone Murphy added: "The UFC should person got Dakota years ago. She's making these girls looks amateur. Mad."

Loughnane was aiming to go the archetypal British two-time MMA satellite champion pursuing his success successful 2022.

But passim the fight, Loughnane - possibly struggling with a limb wounded according to the PFL's commentary squad - lacked the fluidity helium has shown successful erstwhile bouts.

The archetypal circular saw Khizriev get the precocious manus with the grappling, ducking nether a Loughnane spinning backmost footwear and controlling the enactment connected the crushed for the remainder of the round.

The Russian past showed helium was arsenic unsafe successful the striking department, stunning his hostile with an uppercut arsenic humor started to determination from the Briton’s nose.

Another uppercut would follow, sending Loughnane's mouthguard flying crossed the cage, earlier a takedown from Khizriev arsenic the Briton wore a bemused look connected the canvas.

Loughnane started to find a location for his close manus successful circular 4 but Khizriev navigated the last circular safely to clinch his archetypal satellite title.