Dakota Dicheva, a self-confessed sun lover, didn't receive the welcome she expected when she moved to Dubai last month.
“It was a bit of a shock,” the British mixed martial artist says of the harsh situation that faced her. “Well, this may come as a bit of a shock, but I’m from Manchester so I’m used to rain.
“But I never thought I would come here and see it. But either way, it was a good experience… for a day. That was enough for me.”
Fortunately, Dicheva had already gotten a taste of the city before making the big decision to move there. She first came out in January, following a few of her friends who had been on the road before her, and “she fell in love right away.”
“I don't want to leave now,” Dicheva said. The National, sitting in a hotel coffee shop in Dubai Marina. “I managed to arrange a visa, which is great. I am very honored to have gotten the visa.
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“So, yes, all is well. Live in the sun, get a good workout here and meet lots of new people. The chance is to improve yourself all around.”
But Dubai is about more than just the immediate future.
“One of the important things for me is that I love to fight, but I can't fight forever, so I want to have a place to settle down in the future,” Dicheva says.
“Maybe I want to open my own gym or plan a business or family. And I have to bring my family here. There are a lot of factors coming together. Masu.
“Training outside is a big thing for me in itself. I feel like the happier I am in the sun in the morning, the easier it is to keep training. Sometimes I feel a little spoiled. I do, but why?”
It also helps that Dicheva recently joined Paradigm Sports, a long-established sports business and media company based in Dubai since 2020.
“We already have big plans and are just starting to work together,” Dicheva says. “Their connections here and even the different things we have to work on here, it's a great opportunity that I never thought I'd get. I'm excited.”
With that in mind, unlike the short spell of rain up until last month, the future forecast for Ditcheva is pretty bright.
The 25-year-old is the reigning Professional Fighters League European flyweight champion, having won the belt in Dublin in December. As such, Dicheva boasts a perfect record in professional MMA with 10 wins from 10 fights. Eight of his wins came by knockout and one by submission.
Still, Dicheva downplays the path she took to get to where she is today. Simply because it promises to happen.
“To be honest, I don't feel like I'm a champion yet,” she says. “No, I feel that the European Championship is a big thing for me to achieve, but I am not satisfied with it.
“There are still girls who are better than me who haven't won yet. Until they accomplish that and become the top, number one in the world, they're not champions yet.”
So it's only fitting that in less than two weeks, Dicheva will embark on her first PFL regular season campaign, with a chance to reach the playoffs and win not only the title of world champion, but $1 million in prize money. It happened.
Dicheva will begin her first season in the flyweight promotion on April 4th when she faces American Lisa Mauldin at PFL San Antonio. Bellator champion Liz Carmouche and former UFC title challenger Tyra Santos are also on the 2024 roster.
“I'm definitely at the right stage now to be tested in this tournament,” Dicheva says. “I've always been proud of the European title, but now I feel like I'm striving for the top.
“My goal this year is to become world champion and I am confident that I will achieve it, but I am excited about the high level of competition.
“I think some people might be a little nervous, thinking, 'Will she be able to withstand the tougher competition?' But the tougher the competition, the more motivated she will be. I have a lot of experience on the big stage, so I’m excited to come in and put up some good fights and showcase my skills even more.”
Ditcheva believes that despite her success in PFL Europe, she is still considered an unknown and undervalued, but she has a fire in her heart anyway. Put on.
“Absolutely, 100 percent,” she says. “Maybe that's what comes out in the cage. Whenever I go into a fight, there's always a point to prove. Maybe people who doubt me even a little bit are pushing me to fight more. I think it is.
“Obviously, I still feel a little surprised. I think I always will be. We talk about this all the time with my family. No matter who I fight, people always say my It's like saying there's not enough competition or I'm just ignoring all the competition.
“But they don't even realize that these girls are fighting, and they don't smoke with each other. It's just me. People still don't seem to want to judge me that much, but that's okay. No. It also keeps me humble.
“I just keep silently proving to all the girls that I can keep doing this, and I'm happy to do it. No one has to scream at me. I just do it in the cage.
“So my finish speaks for itself. In that European tournament, I stopped them all.”
Even with her incredible record and skyrocketing social media profile (she has over 126,000 followers on Instagram alone), Dicheva still maintains a mature head on young shoulders.
She says she is grateful to her family for that. They play a vital role in her career. Her mother, Lisa Howarth, is a multiple-time world kickboxing champion and was the first to introduce Ditcheva to her martial arts.
Remarkably, she experienced her first match at the age of four before her mother made the decision to take her away from the sport. Instead, Ms. Dicheva chose to focus on gymnastics, soccer, netball, and basketball until around the age of 12 or 13, and then returned to her original passion.
She has excelled for Great Britain in Muay Thai, winning gold at the 2016 International Federation of Muay Thai Associations World Championships.
“i'm back [combat sports] For myself and my mother, we had no choice,” Dicheva says. “Then I immediately left and was just fighting and fighting. And now I ended up here.”
Despite her mother's reluctance some time ago, Dicheva describes her as “the face behind everything, behind me.” Also, very conveniently, her martial arts skills are apparently in her genes.
“Well, I feel like I have a little cheat code,” Dicheva laughed.
Her family support network extends to her siblings as well. Ditcheva's older brother has been doing pad work during camp and will be a reassuring presence in the corner on game nights. Her younger brother also does his part, although he “just likes to go for drives with her.”
With the PFL European title on the line just weeks before Christmas, Dicheva's 88-year-old grandmother attended for the first time and spent the night singing, dancing and celebrating. The accompanying $100,000 winner's check came at a convenient time.
Apparently, her brothers figuratively spent the money before the game. Dicheva, not so. even now.
“I’ve actually saved quite a bit,” she says. “We want to get into real estate, so we're very smart about that. But [my brothers] I received some presents. One of them got a Dyson hair dryer that she wanted for her curly hair or something. The other person had shoes.
“Slowly they're pulling things out of me, but I really couldn't do it without them. I'm happy to share everything.”
This also includes the PFL Europe belt.
“This is home,” Dicheva says. “I said I'd leave it to my mom and dad. They sacrificed as much as I've given to this sport and gave me a dream. Belt said he was going to go with them, but it's at home.
“After a few days, I kind of thought, 'Yeah, that's it. Let's forget about the belt and move on to the next thing.'” But everyone still wants to see it and take pictures with it. I want to.
“My family came over on Christmas Day. When I woke up the next morning, everyone was sending me pictures. Everyone was taking pictures with it. Everyone was still excited about it, but… I’m focused on what’s next right now.”
That is PFL Global. To prepare for the next stage of his career, Dicheva traveled to Florida not to chase the sun, but to hone an already impressive skill set.
There, she trains with the prestigious American Top Team, which has produced many professional MMA champions. Her honorary roles include Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Tyron Woodley, Glover Teixeira, Jonny Evren, current UFC flyweight titleholder Alexandre Pantoja, and Kayla Harrison.
Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who will make his UFC debut next month, is also a two-time PFL world champion. Therefore, she is more than a sounding board in her ATT.
“She has played in many PFL tournaments and has had great success,” Dicheva said. “It’s great to have people like that around me at the same gym we went down the street from.
“I've been training with her on the mat and she always gives me little tips and techniques. If I can follow what she was doing, I'll be happy. .”
It would be a great pleasure to make a statement across the Atlantic this year.
“100 percent, I will. I know in myself and what I am going to do, I know that this is my time and I have to accept it,” Dicheva said. says. “Last year was the same. I had to play my part in the European competition and I have to do the same this time. I want to continue to move in the direction I want to go.”
After her success in the US, she will likely return to what will become her home in Dubai. I hope next time it depends on the weather.
“I plan on staying here as long as I can,” Dicheva said, but that was before she experienced the UAE summer. “It's going to burn quite a bit. You've been warned.
“But I love hot weather. So I can't complain too much, can I?”
Updated: March 26, 2024, 7:15 a.m.
