Dakota Ditcheva experienced a lot of feelings in what was her first fight in over a year – but ring rust was not among them.
In the PFL New York co-main event Friday, Ditcheva (16-0) defeated Denise Kielholtz (9-6), sweeping the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision victory. The women’s flyweight bout took place at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.
A massive favorite entering the bout, many fans (and apparently the sportsbooks) thought Ditcheva would make quick work of the seasoned veteran Kielholtz. When it didn’t happen, many fans online theorized that ring rust could’ve been the reason why. Ditcheva, though, didn’t feel that out-of-the-norm.
“I got a good three rounds out of the fight,” Ditcheva told reporters backstage after her win (h/t Home of 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 as an athlete that I need as an athlete and as a fighter in order to keep progressing. First-round finishes are really good and what we aim for. At the same time, those minutes in the cage are what’s going to teach me the most. We’re taking that from it, and we’re moving to the next one.”
“… Again, I’m going to say the canvas was slippery again. I felt that in my last fight as well. I just felt like I was patient and comfortable, 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 who is throwing for the sake of it. I want to see things, take my time, slip shots, try to evolve my game. Fighting is not just a case of going wild. It’s a sport that’s very calculated. I feel like today I was really patient, which something I really worked on in my camp. I really want to be able to not feel like I’ve got to rush and stop a fight and quickly scramble or anything like that. I want to be able to slip and roll. I want it to look pretty and I feel like that’s what I want to do today.”
There were several things Ditcheva did feel, however. Among them were gratitude, happiness, and appreciation. Being out a year and battling back from injury, Ditcheva broke down in tears as she explained why she appeared to be having such a good time competing.
“Do you know what it is?” Ditcheva said. “I’ve been out for a year. I feel like being out, injured taught me a lot. It’s made me a lot more grateful for sure. I just wanted to soak up the moment. I think that’s all. I’m just happy to be back. … I got the win, three rounds (in) the bag. (I’d rank my performance) very highly.”
