TLDR
- Dakota Ditcheva will face Denise Kielholtz on July 31 at UBS Arena in New York City
- She has competed just once since November 2024 after breaking her hand against Sumiko Inaba in July 2025
- Ditcheva says her hand is fully healed and hitting as hard as before, with only mental hurdles remaining
- She trains at American Top Team with both male and female fighters, feeling nervous but motivated daily
- The British fighter has been impressed by Kielholtz’s kickboxing style and expects an exciting striking match
Sources: mmasucka.com
PFL fighter Dakota Ditcheva will return to action on July 31 when she faces Denise Kielholtz at UBS Arena in New York City. The British star has competed just once since November 2024 due to a hand injury that has kept her sidelined for a year.
Ditcheva spoke with former UFC fighter Dan Hardy about her injury, training and upcoming fight. She broke her hand during a bout with Sumiko Inaba in South Africa last July and has been recovering ever since.
The 26-year-old had been on a tear through the division before the injury stopped her momentum. She defeated Talia Santos in 2024, effectively clearing out much of her competition before the setback against Inaba.
Overcoming Mental Barriers After Hand Injury
Ditcheva told Hardy that her hand has physically recovered and now the challenge is mental. “You have to try and forget about it,” she said. “I’m doing everything I was doing before it was broken so for now, it’s just the mind.”
She explained that she has no evidence suggesting her hand is weaker than before. “I don’t have any evidence to suggest the hand isn’t as strong as it was before, I’m hitting just as hard as I was before,” Ditcheva said.
The PFL fighter currently trains at American Top Team in Florida. She described feeling humbled and nervous before each training session, but says those feelings drive her forward.
“When I get ready for training in the morning, I’m nervous,” Ditcheva said. “But that’s what makes me go and those feeling are what I live for every day.”
The Summer of PFL rolls on! ➡️
The #PFLSummerSeries continues straight into New York with the return of undefeated Dakota Ditcheva this Friday, July 31st against Denise Kielholtz #PFLNY | Friday, July 31st | 📺Prelims 4PM EST on the ESPN App | Main Card 7PM EST on ESPN pic.twitter.com/wsHRozzHYK
— PFL (@PFLMMA) July 26, 2026
She trains with both male and female fighters at the gym. “I train with the boys, train with the girls,” she said. “I switch it up all the time, I spar the boys, sometimes I spar the girls.”
Respect for Kielholtz’s Kickboxing Background
Ditcheva has been watching Kielholtz for years, dating back to her own kickboxing days. She specifically mentioned Kielholtz’s fight against Tiffany Van Soest as one of her favorite fights to watch.
“She’s aggressive, kickboxing style which is what I like,” Ditcheva said. “I quite like the kickboxing style over the Thai-boxing, the traditional Thai boxing is a bit slow for me and she’s got that like fast style.”
Ditcheva said she’s excited for what could be a striking-heavy fight. “I’m excited just to have a striking match if that’s what happens,” she said.
She watched Kielholtz’s most recent fight and came away impressed. Kielholtz was returning after having a child, which Ditcheva acknowledged could have affected her performance.
“I was impressed. First one back after having a kid so obviously ring rust,” Ditcheva said. She admitted her own first fight back from injury wasn’t her best either.
Ditcheva hopes Kielholtz will be more aggressive than in her last outing. “I felt that she was a little bit more waiting on the counters more in that fight,” she said. “I hope she brings it a little bit more so we can have a good scrap.”
The Ditcheva vs Kielholtz fight takes place on July 31 at UBS Arena in New York City. The event will be headlined by Umar Nurmagomedov facing undefeated fighter Archie Colgan.
