Dakota Ditcheva had more trouble than usual earlier tonight (Fri., July 31, 2026) at PFL New York from inside UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, but the women’s flyweight sensation still fended off Denise Kielholtz to push her undefeated mixed martial arts (MMA) record to 16-0.
Anything is possible when it comes to combat sports, but Ditcheva entered Friday’s co-main event tilt opposite Kielholtz a massive betting favorite (-10000) and for good reason. Ditcheva has basically looked unstoppable throughout
her tenure with PFL and has showed no signs of slowing down. So even though Kielholtz has an impressive background in kickboxing and Muay Thai this was more or less an alley-oop for another slam dunk performance by Ditcheva.
Unfortunately for Ditcheva, Kielholtz didn’t get the memo. The underdog went toe-to-toe with PFL’s brightest star and gave her a good run for her money. Ditcheva was being proactive in looking for the finish every step of the way, but one never presented itself. It wasn’t the most dominant of performances fight fans have seen from Ditcheva, but she still did enough to earn a unanimous decision win and ward off a terrible upset.
Check out the video highlights below:
Ditcheva, 28, remains one of the most talented fighters (male or female) currently competing outside of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). While it’s possible PFL will one day sign a women’s flyweight fighter capable of defeating Ditcheva it’s more likely that the English phenom will continue to rack off wins under the PFL banner. It’s no secret that Ditcheva belongs in UFC and she will find it very difficult to bring her career to the next level until she gets there.
For more PFL New York results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
