UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1) is preparing for his highly anticipated rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 320 on October 4. But ahead of that fight, the Russian standout has been forced to address a resurfaced clip involving Din Thomas, a former UFC veteran turned analyst, who suggested Ankalaev should be shipped to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in exchange for rising star Dakota Ditcheva.
On Thursday, Ankalaev fired back with a short but pointed response on social media, writing:
“Who is Diana Thomas?”
It was a clear jab at the analyst who has been repeating the same trade idea for more than a year.
Din Thomas Holds His Ground
The original comments from Thomas came in early 2024, when Ankalaev struggled to secure consistent matchups. Speaking on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel, Thomas explained why he believed the UFC would benefit more from Ditcheva than Ankalaev.
“I’ve been saying this for two years that they needed to make that trade,” Thomas said. “When Ankalaev was running around trying to get fights, begging for fights, I said, ‘Trade his ass to the PFL where he could go win a million dollars.’ The clip was actually a year ago. It was a year ago where he was still begging for fights. I was like, ‘Just trade him to the PFL, he could make a million dollars there, he could win the tournaments there, and we could use Dakota.'”
He didn’t just stick to his stance; he doubled and tripled down on the claim, even after Ankalaev claimed UFC gold.
“I went back after all this thing blew up, they conveniently brought it out now when he’s a champion defending. And not only am I doubling down, I’m tripling down. I am still saying that it would be a better trade. Dakota Ditcheva, she is 15-0 with an 80 percent knockout rate. If you don’t think that the UFC could make her a star, one of the biggest stars in all of MMA – a blonde-headed, girl next door, a pretty girl that has an 80 percent knockout rate – she would be the biggest star in the UFC. They would do with her the way they did Ronda [Rousey], the way they tried to do Holly Holm, the way they tried to do Paige VanZant, the way they tried to market Sean O’Malley.”
Ditcheva (15-0) has been one of the brightest prospects in the PFL. She recently extended her deal with the organization after defeating Sumiko Inaba in July, making any hypothetical UFC trade unlikely for the foreseeable future. With her undefeated record and high knockout percentage, Thomas believes she has all the ingredients to be marketed into a mainstream name.
Ankalaev’s Next Step
For now, Ankalaev is focused on defending his championship against Pereira in Las Vegas. He captured the title in 2024 after a lengthy climb through the division, cementing himself as one of the most dangerous 205-pound fighters in the world. Despite the chatter, the Dagestani contender is keeping his eyes on competition inside the Octagon rather than analyst talk outside of it.
