Key difference between Ronda Rousey and Dakota Ditcheva highlighted by UFC legend after $1million PFL win
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Dan Hardy has pointed out the key difference between Ronda Rousey and MMA's latest female superstar.
'Rowdy' broke down barriers when she won 12 consecutive fights by stoppage and became one of the UFC's greatest legends before retiring due to concussion issues in 2016.
Amanda Nunes took the mantle in her absence, but since 'The Lioness' walked away from MMA in 2023 there's been a distinct lack of female stars in the sport.
Dakota Ditcheva could fill that gap after putting together an incredible run of wins that have seen her amass a 14-0 record and win PFL's $1million flyweight tournament.
Is Dakota Ditcheva the next Ronda Rousey?
As a blonde female fighter with a reputation for finishing her opponents, Dakota Ditcheva has been batting away Ronda Rousey comparisons for years.
However, they have become more prominent since the 25-year-old easily dispatched of former UFC title challenge Taila Santos to record her biggest win yet in November.
UK MMA legend Dan Hardy believes the key difference between Ditcheva and Rousey, besides their contradicting approaches to fighting, is the fact the English starlet is more well-rounded.
He told Bloody Elbow: "Ronda was a pioneer in martial arts, women's martial arts in particular, but the reason why she was so effective is because she was particularly overwhelming in one range, right?
"Like, she came in, she grabbed a hold of somebody, threw them to the floor, and wrenched their arm off.
“Whereas Dakota, over the last two years, has also shown that she's a fully well-rounded MMA fighter.
"I think that's another thing that gives people a lot of confidence that she could compete with anyone in the world. You know, she can grapple and stay safe if she hits the floor with a world-class jiu-jitsu player.
“And her takedown defense coupled with those muay Thai knees could put anybody away. And he's also got the frame that's perfect for this weight class.
"I could make the argument right now that she could beat anybody in this weight class on the planet."
Dan Hardy reflects on Dakota Ditcheva's rise
This time last year, Ditcheva had just proven herself by winning a tournament on the European circuit, but many people doubted that she could hang with the very best in the world.
Now most MMA fans rank her among the top five pound-for-pound female fighters. The PFL Head of Fighter Operations in Europe is convinced that she will continue her surge in 2025.
Hardy added: "It was just a standout two years really for Dakota, she's really on a roll. Not only to go through the European bracket as she did with stoppages, but she also showed her grappling in the first fight of the regular season.
"I think everybody was expecting big things for her when she stepped into the global bracket. The question was, at some point, she's going to run into either Liz Carmouche or Taila Santos, and that might be a step too far.
"Dakota got in there and was the first person to put [Santos] away. The thing is the way that she's done it as well, it doesn't matter what fighter in the world in the weight class, you just look at it and go, 'I can just see Dakota cutting through every single person.
"Even at bantamweight as well, she's got the frame and the reach to move up a weight class at some point and start dominating there as well. So, I expect her to add some more belts to her collection before the time is out.”
