Dan Hardy Amazed by Dakota Ditcheva's Massive Favorite Status

PFL commentator Dan Hardy believes the historic odds for the Dakota Ditcheva vs. Denise Kielholtz bout at PFL New York do a disservice to both fighters.

Undefeated women's flyweight star Ditcheva (15-0) will enter Friday's co-main event against Kielholtz (9-5) at UBS Arena on Long Island as a historically massive favorite. In some markets, her odds to win reach as high as -10,000, marking one of the largest betting discrepancies ever seen in an MMA match.

While almost everyone rightly considers the 28-year-old Ditcheva the favorite, Hardy emphasized that the unpredictability of MMA can level the playing field in ways the odds don't reflect. He noted that the 37-year-old Kielholtz possesses a tricky and awkward style, and the fact that Ditcheva is returning from two serious injuries makes the fight even more intriguing.

"First and foremost, it's an MMA fight. I was talking to Matt Serra last night, who was one of the guys who overturned massive expectations against Georges St-Pierre back in the day, even before the odds got so much attention," Hardy told MMA Junkie.

She could prove to be a real test for Dakota because she is very, very good in the clinch and in close-range fighting.

I'm sure Dakota feels 100 percent, but there's always some hesitation when you're coming back from an injury. You ask yourself, 'How will things play out?' Will it change her game in any way? Will she want to kick more, or clinch more often? I'm excited to see what Dakota looks like."

Despite disagreeing with the odds, Hardy acknowledged that it's not unrealistic for Ditcheva to deliver a completely one-sided performance. According to him, she possesses that capability, especially given the focus she has shown during fight week.

However, the situation is somewhat of a trap for Ditcheva, as it places pressure on her to win in an overwhelmingly dominant fashion. Hardy stated that this would weigh heavily on any fighter's mind.

"I know Dakota is taking Denise very seriously, because it's in these kinds of fights that you can underestimate an opponent, stumble, make a mistake, and suddenly all the hype that pushed the odds to such ridiculous levels comes crashing down around you," Hardy said.

"In this sport, people are written off very quickly. One loss to an opponent you weren't supposed to lose to, and it's all over. Imagine if Georges St-Pierre had lost to me. That would have completely changed his career and everything else. It would have been the second such instance, after Matt Serra had already taken his title.

You don't want to be in a situation where you're fighting such a massive underdog that everyone just expects you to win.

The circumstances are strange, and I feel for both of them. I don't think the situation is easy for either of them.

But I know for sure that Liz Carmouche will be watching this fight and rooting for Dakota, because that's the fight she wants. If Dakota gets through this fight successfully, stays healthy, and wins, it looks like the next match will be for the flyweight title. I don't see any other way things could unfold."