Ditcheva pulls out of Feb. 7 PFL bout with latest injury

• Brett OkamotoDec 23, 2025, 06:04 PM ET

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  Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

Sidelined by injuries for much of 2025, Dakota Ditcheva will begin the new year with more of the same.

An undisclosed injury has forced Ditcheva (15-0) to withdraw from a scheduled bout against Denise Kielholtz (8-5) on Feb. 7 in Dubai, officials announced Tuesday. The Professional Fighters League did not reveal the nature of Ditcheva’s injury or an expected time frame for her return.

The flyweight matchup was meant to complement a main card that features two title fights, including a lightweight main event between defending champion Usman Nurmagomedov and Alfie Davis.

Ditcheva, a 27-year-old native of Manchester, is arguably PFL’s biggest star but has not fought since she suffered a broken hand during a decision win over Sumiko Inaba in July. Immediately after that victory, Ditcheva announced she had signed a new deal to remain with the PFL, but she has yet to compete since that announcement.

Ditcheva has gone the distance only twice in her career, with 12 of her pro wins coming via knockout.