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Dakota Ditcheva responds to Liz Carmouche, complaints about her being the ‘diva of the division’ in PFL

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9 hours ago

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Dakota Ditcheva responds to Liz Carmouche, complaints about her being the ‘diva of the division’ in PFL

Dakota Ditcheva has arguably become the face of the PFL, but with that level of celebrity comes scrutiny, whether it's valid or not.

Originally scheduled to compete in February after recovering from an injury, Ditcheva was supposed to face Bellator veteran Denise Kielholtz, which wasn't exactly on the top of anybody's wish list with-top ranked flyweight contender Liz Carmouche lingering out there as the biggest and best possible challenger. Sadly, Ditcheva suffered another injury that delayed her comeback until Friday's PFL event in New York where she's once again matched up against Kielholtz rather than Carmouche.

But Ditcheva makes it clear that just like when she was fighting in February, she didn't ask for anybody specifically as an opponent and she refutes any criticism that she's getting special treatment due to her growing popularity.

“I didn't choose this,†Ditcheva told MMA Fighting. “PFL came to me and said ‘do you want to fight Denise?' People talk about me being this golden child and the diva of the division type of thing. I don't ever pick my opponents. I let PFL come to me with whoever they want to put me against and I think they felt like Denise made sense. The whole division has been busy without me. There's a lot of new girls in the division now. I had to fit in with them. I can't be out for a year and then come back and say I want this and this and this.

“I just came back and said I'm ready to fight, they said let's give Denise the fight she was promised. She won her fight in Dubai so it makes sense and that's just what I went with. If they gave me anyone else, I would have been like OK. I just fight whoever they give me.â€

When it comes to a potential showdown against Carmouche in the future, Ditcheva openly admits that's the ideal matchup for the flyweight division, especially if a championship is involved.

That said, Ditcheva scoffed at the idea that she's avoiding Carmouche or that the PFL is protecting her from a fight she's somehow destined to lose.

“Liz has had her comments but if we end up fighting, we end up fighting,†Ditcheva said. “That's not something I'm avoiding at all. If that's the fight that's made next, that's the fight you will see.

“As regards to the belt, no one's got the belt yet and I am not bothered if I fight for it or not. Because as long as I beat whoever they give me and I'm sat at the top, I don't really care. I would fight Liz for no belt as long as I'm fighting for my No. 1 spot. I feel like my No. 1 spot is more important than the belt for me.â€

Ditcheva admits trash talking has never been her thing so she didn't really pay too much attention to anything that Carmouche has said during her absence.

But Ditcheva has heard past opponents say plenty of crazy things trying to get under her skin and thus far nobody has been remotely successful. She doesn't expect that to change for Carmouche or anybody else for that matter.

“It just sounds so familiar to everyone else,†Ditcheva said. “At this point, I'm just like I'm sure Liz is a really nice lady. But I'm not bothered by the whole trash talk thing. I'm not bothered about speaking bad on Liz.

“Props to her. Great fighter. If we end up fighting, we end up fighting but until then you're not getting any air time out of me.â€

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MMA

Edgar Berlanga rallies to stop Steven Butler at Zuffa Boxing 9

Published

1 hour ago

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July 31, 2026

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Edgar Berlanga rallies to stop Steven Butler at Zuffa Boxing 9
Edgar Berlanga overcame an early scare to score a statement
victory, while Richardson Hitchins impressed in his welterweight
bout at Zuffa Boxing 9.

Zuffa Boxing graced The Big Apple on July 26, putting on an event
at Infosys Theater in Madison Square Garden.

Zuffa Boxing 9 Results: Edgar Berlanga stops Steven Butler,
Richardson Hitchins wins side

Berlanga rallied following a knockdown to stop Steven Butler via
technical knockout in the seventh round of a super middleweight
bout. Berlanga responded with relentless pressure after being
dropped, gradually breaking Butler down before scoring a knockdown
of his own in Round 6.

In the co-main event, Hitchins turned in a dominant performance,
cruising to a unanimous decision over Ricardo Salas. Using his
superior speed, reach and jab, the New Yorker outboxed Salas from
bell to bell, earning identical 100-90 scores on all three judges’
cards.

Elsewhere on the card, Jalil Hackett earned a unanimous decision
over former world title challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko in his
middleweight debut, while Vladyslav Sirenko scored a knockout
against Otto Wallin with just one second remaining in their
bout.

Furthermore, Emiliano Moreno outworked Arnold Gonzalez over eight
rounds and Kashaun Davis handed Mihai Nistor the first decision
loss of his career. Troy Nash remained unbeaten in Zuffa Boxing
with a majority decision over Ethan Perez, while Andres Sosa dented
Dominique Francis’ previously perfect record with a unanimous
decision victory in the opening contest.

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MMA

Valter Walker warns UFC heavyweights after rare calf slicer finish

Published

3 hours ago

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July 31, 2026

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Valter Walker warns UFC heavyweights after rare calf slicer finish
Valter
Walker has issued a warning to his heavyweight peers in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship for when the fight hits the
mat.

The Brazilian submission specialist continued his remarkable streak
at
UFC Abu Dhabi, forcing a tap from Thomas
Petersen with a rare calf slicer in the first round. This
marked only the fourth successful calf slicer in Octagon history
and extended Walker’s streak of sub victories to five straight.

Valter Walker says he has an answer when opponents defend his
heel hook.

Walker (16-1) secured four consecutive wins via heel hooks going
into UFC Abu Dhabi and added yet another leg-based submission
conquest to his record with his victory over Petersen. “The Foot
Hunter†later explained that the finish came after his American
counterpart successfully defended the heel hook.

“If you're ready for the heel hook, I have a variation to find a
way to win the fight,†Walker said in a post-fight interview. “If
the fight is on the ground, be careful. I will surprise you every
time.â€

Walker has six submission wins overall, in addition to just as many
knockouts. His current streak of first-round submissions paves the
way for a high-profile matchup next, which he's targeting for
UFC
333 in October, also slated for Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

“I just want to relax a little bit now, take a holiday with my wife
— but I want to fight again in October here,†Walker added. “I'll
talk to my manager and find out who's next.â€

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MMA

Dakota Ditcheva admits she’s still fighting fear following serious hand injury

Published

5 hours ago

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July 31, 2026

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Dakota Ditcheva admits she’s still fighting fear following serious hand injury
Dakota
Ditcheva is trying to forget about her hand injury as she
prepares to return to action in the
Professional Fighters League.

The unbeaten British standout meets former Bellator
kickboxing champion Denise
Kielholtz on July 31 at UBS Arena on Long Island, New York,
marking her return after suffering a broken hand against Sumiko
Inaba in 2025, an injury that sidelined her for more than a
year.

Dakota Ditcheva discusses confidence struggles before PFL fight
with Denise Kielholtz

Despite a 100% physical recovery from her injury, Ditcheva still
struggles with the mental aspect of returning to competition. She
recently admitted that the biggest hurdle has been regaining
complete confidence in her repaired hand, especially having
undergone reconstructive surgery.

“You have to try and forget about it,†Ditcheva said about her
recovery after the surgery. “I'm doing everything I was doing
before it was broken, so for now, it's just the mind. I don't have
any evidence to suggest the hand isn't as strong as it was before;
I'm hitting just as hard as I was before.â€

Ditcheva also claimed that she occasionally feels “nervous†before
training sessions.

“When I get ready for training in the morning, I'm nervous,†the
PFL star added. “But that's what makes me go and those feeling are
what I live for every day.â€

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