Dakota Ditcheva heard the reaction at PFL New York, and she did not pretend otherwise after moving to 16-0.
Ditcheva beat Denise Kielholtz by unanimous decision on Friday, July 31, 2026, at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. All three judges scored it 30-27, but the crowd grew restless when the flyweight co-main event reached the final bell.
Ditcheva said the boos reached her because she also wanted the finish.
“It bothered me. Only because I’m passionate about the work I do, and I wanted a stoppage myself. But at the same time, words from my brother and my coach will be, always, ‘We don’t care about what anybody else thinks.’ It’s me in there fighting. I’m the one that’s in there [who’d] think about the boos for one second and get knocked out.”
“So for me, I don’t want them to boo because I want to be exciting and entertaining for you guys. But at the same time, I’m in there fighting. I’m not in there performing a dance. So I have to do what’s right for me to get the win and come out on top, and that’s what I did today.”
The full media scrum and PFL’s own fight-night posts are below.
Dakota Defends The Smart Win
Ditcheva also said she did not skip a cage interview. The broadcast simply moved her out after the fight.
“No, they just took me straight out the cage, so I’m not sure whether that was to do with the broadcast. That would be something you’d have to ask PFL about, yeah. I didn’t refuse it though.”
The distance fight gave her something she had not had since July 2025: full live rounds after an injury break.
“I got a good three rounds out of the fight. I’ve been out for a long time, so it’s good experience for me. My coaches are happy, because it’s valuable time in the cage that I need as an athlete and a fighter in order to keep progressing.”
“First-round finishes are really good, and what we aim for, but at the same time, those minutes in the cage are what are gonna teach me the most. So we’re taking that from it and moving to the next one.”
Ditcheva rejected the idea that Kielholtz was a soft comeback opponent.
“I told you that she was tough. A lot of people mocked her, said that I wasn’t fighting somebody tough. Denise has been in this sport a long, long time. I never for one second underestimated what she was going to bring.”
“She can strike, she can grapple. She took me down at one point, right? So, you know, I didn’t underestimate her at all and I never will underestimate anybody and that’s what I think a lot of fans have to learn is that until you do this sport, you shouldn’t have such big opinions because you don’t know who you’re getting in the cage with.”
Hand Injury, Patience, And MVP
Ditcheva said the hand issue that kept her out did not affect her return.
“I’m happy to be back. I’m really happy to be back. Hand felt great. Good three rounds again. Landed some good shots. Denise took some good stick. And yeah, we’re good. We’re all good.”
She framed the decision win as controlled, not safe.
“No, not safe. I don’t play safe. It’s not my style, for sure. I’m sensible, but again, I’m going to say the canvas was slippery again. I’m not using that as an excuse for anything, but it’s so annoying that I felt that in my last fight as well.”
“I just felt like I was patient and comfortable. I’m not rushing. I’m trying to evolve as an athlete. I’m trying to see things a lot better. I don’t want to just be this fighter that is just throwing for the sake of it.”
“I want to be able to see things, take my time, slip shots. I’m trying to evolve my game, and getting in a fight is not just a case of going wild. It’s a sport that is very calculated.”
The PFL-MVP shift came up after the fight. Ditcheva said she learned about it when everyone else did and did not yet know how it changes her schedule.
“I don’t really understand the merger, really. MVP is great, what Jake Paul does is amazing, what he does is amazing. I’m not really sure what it looks like for me yet. I haven’t spoken to anyone because obviously I was just concentrating on my fight this week.”
“I didn’t know one single thing about it until it got released on the internet. So, I don’t know, I haven’t really got any comments on it just yet. I’m hoping it’s a good thing for the fighters and that’s all I can say right now.”
She does not want to sit out just to wait for the branding change.
“No, I’ll take another fight. I’m not really bothered whether it’s what it’s under. I want it just as long as I’m fighting the best. I’m not sitting out for a change of the name of the company, that’s for sure.”
Carmouche Still Looms
Liz Carmouche remains the expected next major name in the flyweight picture, but Ditcheva kept the callout short.
“Until PFL tell me I’m fighting Liz, I don’t have no message for her and I probably won’t when I’m fighting her. I’ll get in the cage, beat her, and that’ll be it.”
Ditcheva’s record now stands at 16-0 after the Kielholtz decision. She entered New York as the 2024 PFL women’s flyweight tournament winner and returned after a layoff tied to hand injuries. Kielholtz, a former Bellator title challenger and decorated striker, dropped to 9-6.
The win followed the earlier Ditcheva vs. Kielholtz result, and the next booking could decide how quickly PFL moves its undefeated flyweight star toward Carmouche. Ditcheva also has older promotional history on the site, including her 2024 answer on choosing the world title or the $1 million prize and her previous body-shot finish.
