Rising star Dakota Ditcheva stops Taila Santos to win PFL World Championship in Riyadh

Khizriev defeats 2022 champion Loughnane by unanimous decision in featherweight final

Dakota Ditcheva after receiving the 2024 PFL World Championship flyweight belt from her mother Lisa Howarth in Riyadh on Friday, November 29, 2024. PFL

Dakota Ditcheva delivered another impressive performance to stop Taila Santos in the second round and become the first British woman to win an MMA world title at a stacked Professional Fighters League event at King Saud University Arena in Riyadh on Friday night.

Manchester's Ditcheva, 26, dominated her Brazilian opponent from the word go. The end came in the second round when she landed a powerful straight left to the stomach followed by three punches to the ribs.

The victory extends the unbeaten start to her career to 14 bouts, a run which has seen 13 stoppages.

“The world is mine, I don't know, we'll have to sit together with PFL and see what we can come up with, but I just beat the best girl that's out there out of any other division,” Ditcheva said when asked what’s next for her after adding the world title to the PFL European crown she won last year.

“PFL, I'm sure will come out with something amazing again.”

Speaking of the fight itself Ditcheva confirmed that Santos was the toughest opponent she has met.

“I knew I was capable, as I worked so hard. My team knew I was capable right from the beginning of this season,” she added.

Ditcheva paid tribute to her family including her mother, Lisa Howarth, a world kickboxing champion who presented the title belt to her, along with her brothers and father who were all ringside.

“I honestly could not do this without my team. I cry pretty much every day, going through so much and these guys have kept me stuck together,” she said.

“It's been tough. My brother flew all the way over from England to come out early. He literally puts his whole life on hold. Not even got a girlfriend because he's always with me and never goes out.

“He's back and forward from the gym and I don't give him a minute. I've been crying every single day in camp and he's kept me going. This is a man, I love him.”

Elsewhere on the card, Timur Khizriev outclassed the 2022 champion Brendan Loughnane by unanimous decision in the featherweight final to stretch his unbeaten run to 18 fights.

Khizriev dominated the first three rounds of the five with jabs, elbows, spinning back-kicks and take downs. The tough Loughnane suffered a bloody nose in round two and that only got worse, leaving the Englishman with a crimson mask as the fight progressed.

“I believe I picked apart my opponent and I was ready for all the moves that he was preparing for me. I knew everything about what he's going to do and I was here to counter him,” Khizriev said through a translator after the main fight of a card that saw six PFL world titles and $6 million in prize money split between the winners on the night.

“He (Loughnane) is a tough fighter, and yes, he took a lot of damage. I was honestly surprised he took the fight to the end. We have to give it, you know, clap and hats off to him.”

Including Khizriev, the Russians bagged four of the six world titles that were up for grabs on the night.

Denis Goltsov won the heavyweight title with a first round submission via triangle choke over Oleg Popov, and Shamil Musaev defeated Magomed Umalatov to take the welterweight final, both in all-Russian affairs.

Gadzhi Rabadanov became the third Russian to win a title when he stopped American Brent Primus via a TKO in round 3.

Dovlet Yagshimuradov of Turkmenistan made short work of American Impa Kasanganay by knocking him out in 58 seconds to take home the light-heavyweight belt.

Results of PFL 2024 World Championship title fights

Featherweight: Timur Khizriev defeated Brendan Loughnane via unanimous decision.

Flyweight: Dakota Ditcheva def Taila Santos via second round TKO (4 min 41 sec).

Light heavyweight: Dovlet Yagshimuradov def Impa Kasanganay via first round KO (0:58).

Welterweight: Shamil Musaev def Magomed Umalatov via third round TKO (1:44).

Lightweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov def Brent Primus via third round KO (2:31).

Heavyweight: Denis Goltsov def Oleg Popov via submission (triangle in R1, 2:55).