Dakota Ditcheva: I Want to Fight in Bulgaria, I've Planned Everything

Bulgarian-British MMA star Dakota Ditcheva has once again expressed her desire to fight in Bulgaria at a major PFL gala event in the future. Ditcheva is set to return to the cage at 2:00 AM on Sunday against Denise Kielholtz, and a victory would see her compete for the PFL championship belt at the end of 2026.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Dakota reaffirmed her wish to fight in Bulgaria, a sentiment she also shared during an interview with Sportal.bg last year.

"This will be the first time I'll have the Bulgarian flag on my kit. Previously, my fight gear only featured the English flag because PFL allowed only one. I walk out with both flags, but my kit only showed England. This time, they've included both. I represent both sides, you know, I have dual citizenship. So, it's important for me that both flags are flying. We were just laughing in the car because I had my photos taken this morning – I held both flags up, one by one, and my mom said she'd post the English one, and my dad the Bulgarian one. We joke about these things, but I'm genuinely proud of both.

Bulgarian fans are incredibly passionate! The moment they see that flag on my kit, they'll be so happy. They are very proud of every athlete who represents the country. Even though I wasn't born in Bulgaria, they support me so much.

I feel like they just need to let me fight in Bulgaria or the UK now. Honestly, I think I could probably sell out an arena in Bulgaria better than in the UK. The biggest arena in Bulgaria, I believe, is 'Arena Sofia,' which is in the capital, and I feel like that would be the perfect venue for an event. I've planned my entire entrance and everything; I have it all mapped out.

Obviously, Bulgaria isn't a place they're thinking of going, but I feel it's close to Russia, you know, they have a lot of Russians there, so they could include them in the fight night too. It's close to England, anyone can fly in, it's a mix. And I feel that once I win the belt, they just have to.

I've already figured out how I'll make my entrance to the cage – it's with my typical Bulgarian bagpipes, which I always walk out to, so I'm keeping that a secret. With real bagpipes and a few other cool traditional things I've planned," Ditcheva told Ariel Helwani.