Dakota Ditcheva wants it. John Martin now wants it. Liz Carmouche has said she wants it.
It sounds like the stars are aligning for a high-profile PFL women's flyweight title fight – it's just a matter of when.
"I've talked to her," Martin told reporters Friday after PFL New York at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. (h/t Home of Fight). "She wants to stay busy. She's been out of the cage for a year. I think in the first round tonight, we saw her kind of feel Denise (Kielholtz), and there was a little bit of cage rust, maybe. But she got over that really quickly. So yeah, she's going to be back pretty soon, and I think Liz is the fight we make."
Martin hopes it's a fight PFL can get on the books by the end of the year, prior to their official branding merger
with MVP. That timeline seems to align with Ditcheva (16-0), who voiced desire for a quick return and frequent activity after a year out of action, partially due to a hand injury.
"I think so," Ditcheva said, if a crack at the champion should be on deck. "That makes sense, yeah. I think it makes more sense before she shouted out the 135-pound division. But anyway, we'll see what happens. She changes her mind every second."
Both Dakota and Carmouche (26-8) have indicated they want the matchup for a long time. Ditcheva seemed to think the idea of cutting a promo on the microphone post-fight was a bit tired, so she said she'll save that for when the fight gets booked – if she executes it at all.
"Until PFL tells me I'm fighting Liz, I probably don't have no message for her," Ditcheva said. "I probably won't when I'm fighting her. I'll get in the cage, beat her, and that will be it."
Ditcheva, 28, is one of PFL's biggest stars and a homegrown talent. Her unanimous decision win against Kielholtz (9-6) on Friday in the co-main event moved her to 11-0 under the promotion's banner.
Carmouche, 42, has shown no signs of slowing down in recent years despite her longevity as one of the sport's top female fighters. The first woman to ever step foot inside a UFC cage for a fight, Carmouche has gone 13-1 since she departed the UFC off a title shot in 2019.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: John Martin indicates Dakota Ditcheva vs. Liz Carmouche is next after PFL New York
