2024 PFL Championship: Dakota Ditcheva stops ex-UFC title challenger Taila Santos to win

Dakota Ditcheva just shut up a lot of critics, while also winning a major championship belt and a million dollars.

That’s right. Ditcheva stopped former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in dominant fashion in the co-main event of 2024 PFL Championship, which took place Friday at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The official time of the stoppage was 4:41 of Round 2.

This result got Ditcheva (14-0) the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight title and the $1 million prize for the season.

The fight was mainly a one-way street. Although Santos (22-4) was able to press Ditcheva against the cage in the early portion of the fight, Ditcheva always found a way to get back to her bread and butter, striking, and pick apart Santos at range. In Round 2, Ditcheva’s shots began to add up and rapidly diminish Santos’ energy and durability. A shot to the liver from Ditcheva was the final straw that got Santos to collapse, thus forcing the referee to waive off the action.

Ditcheva maintained her undefeated record with Friday’s showing. The victory over Santos, who has been considered one of the best fighters at woman’s flyweight, is easily the biggest victory of her career. The 26-year-old is quickly establishing herself as one of the best fighters today. Ditcheva is also the 2023 PFL Europe women’s flyweight tournament winner.

On the other hand, this was Santos’ fourth professional defeat and first loss since fighting out her contract with the UFC and joining the PFL. Santos, who left the UFC at the end of 2023 after a decision loss to top contender Erin Blanchfield, had picked up three wins in PFL, including a decision win over former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche.

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Up-to-the-minute 2024 PFL Championship results include:

• Dakota Ditcheva def. Taila Santos via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:41

• Dovletdzhan Yagshimuradov def. Impa Kasanganay via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:58 – to win 2024 light heavyweight title

• Shamil Musaev def. Magomed Umalatov via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:44 – to win 2024 welterweight title

• Gadzhi Rabadanov def. Brent Primus via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:31 – to win 2024 lightweight title

• Denis Goltsov def. Oleg Popov via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:55 – to win 2024 heavyweight title

• Abdullah Al-Qahtani def. Maraoune Bellagouit via TKO (punches) – Round 1 – for MENA featherweight title

• Omar El Dafrawy def. Mohammad Alaqraa via TKO (punches) – Round 2; 0:57 – to win MENA welterweight title

• Ali Taleb def. Rachid El Hazoume via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:25 – to win MENA bantamweight title

• Mohsen Mohammadseifi def. Georges Eid via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) – for MENA lightweight title

• Mansour Barnaoui def. Alfie Davis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:41

• Slim Trabelsi def. Abraham Bably via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Gabriel Braga def. Jeremy Kennedy via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

• Asael Adjoudj def. Jose Perez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:10

• Costello van Steenis def. Joao Dantas via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 0:48

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2024 PFL Championship.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: 2024 PFL Championship: Dakota Ditcheva stops ex-UFC title challenger Taila Santos to win title, $1 million prize