Dubai just got a little more “Dangerous.”
Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced today that its 2024 tournament winner — and one of the promotion’s biggest rising stars — Dakota Ditcheva will return
against former Bellator Kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz in the featured bout of PFL: Road to Dubai, which takes place Sat., Feb. 7, 2026, inside Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Ditcheva (15-0) fought just once in 2025, but she made it count. At PFL Africa 1 in June, she dominated former Bellator fighter Sumiko Inaba for three rounds, bloodying “Lady Samurai” with a one-sided performance. The win came at a cost, though — Ditcheva broke her hand in the process, keeping her out of action for the remainder of the year.
The undefeated 27-year-old has been flawless in the PFL cage, winning all nine of her fights with the promotion, including seven by knockout (watch highlights). She captured the inaugural PFL Europe tournament title as well as the 2024 PFL Women’s Flyweight championship.
Many hoped Ditcheva would face Liz Carmouche next for the inaugural PFL Flyweight title, but that matchup now appears targeted for later in 2026.
Meanwhile, Kielholtz (8-5) returns from a 27-month layoff. She was slated for the 2024 Flyweight tournament but withdrew for undisclosed reasons. “Miss Dynamite” rides a two-fight winning streak, including victories over Inaba and Paula Cristina.
PFL: Road to Dubai is headlined by Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alfie Davis for the PFL Lightweight title, with the co-main event featuring Ramazan Kuramagomedov vs. Shamil Musaev for the vacant PFL Welterweight belt.
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