“I have honestly cried nonstop” – Dakota Ditcheva Reveals She Broke Both Hands During PFL New York Fight
Dakota Ditcheva is going to be on the sidelines once again.
On July 31, at PFL New York, Ditcheva returned to the SmartCage after several months away. On her comeback, she faced Denise Kielholtz and cruised to a unanimous decision win, improving her professional MMA record to 16-0.
While many fans expected Ditcheva to quickly return to action against No. 2 PFL women’s flyweight contender Liz Carmouche, that won’t be happening anytime soon as the former has suffered a major injury once more.
Dakota Ditcheva broke both her hands at PFL New York
Dakota Ditcheva broke her left hand in July 2025 while fighting Sumiko Inaba. In 2026, following recovery and rehabilitation, she was game to enter the cage in February against the aforementioned Denise Kielholtz. However, the bout had to be postponed, as this time, the 28-year-old broke her right hand.
Last month, at PFL New York, “Dangerous” broke both her hands, as she revealed on her YouTube channel. She added that she could feel the hand injury from the second stanza but decided not to tell her corner. Only her cut man was aware of the broken bones:
“Breaking news. I am injured again. I broke my hands in the fight. I could feel it from the second I started the second round. I didn’t tell my corner. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t show it this time, and I didn’t actually tell anybody until I got out of the cage.”
Check out Dakota Ditcheva’s comments below:
Ditcheva also confessed in the same video that the doctors had previously advised her to get hand surgery. However, she decided not to go under the knife, believing her bones would “hold strong,” which now seems like a bad idea.
“It was a choice of mine to have the surgery the first time, and I didn’t. So therefore, I’m paying the price for it now, and I will be out for a little bit. It is what it is. I’m going to move forward. I have honestly cried nonstop the last week.”
Despite the setback, Ditcheva has promised a quick return. Her surgeon has yet to discuss the treatment plan with her, including how long her hands will take to heal and when she will undergo surgery. More news is expected in the weeks to come.
“I am back in splints until my surgeon has decided what the next steps are going forward, which will be in the next few days.”
She added:
“I will be back. This is not going to take me out. My career is not done. Although it felt like that once again, I will be back. I’m hopefully going to be back quicker than I was last time.”
Check out Dakota Ditcheva’s comments below:
