John Martin confirmed to reporters Friday following the PFL New York event that the path to a women's flyweight title match between Dakota Ditcheva and Liz Carmouche is narrowing. The fight has been discussed for months, and now with both fighters and the promotion in agreement, the focus shifts to securing a date.
Martin said Ditcheva, who has been out of the cage for a full year due to injury, is ready for action. He pointed to her performance against Denise Kielholtz as proof that the 28-year-old is finding her rhythm again. 'She got over the rust quickly,' Martin said. 'We believe this fight makes sense, and it's something we're pushing to finalize soon.'
Ditcheva's drive to compete
Ditcheva, who remains unbeaten at 16-0 and 11-0 in PFL, has made her return a priority. She echoed Martin’s thoughts, stating a fight with Carmouche would be logical as the 42-year-old remains a top threat in the division. But she also made it clear she has no interest in engaging in pre-fight theatrics. 'Until they book it, I have no message,' she said.
Carmouche remains in contention
Her recent win streak since leaving the UFC in 2019 has kept her relevant, and her age has not slowed her. Martin sees the matchup as a natural next step for both athletes. The timing appears ideal before PFL’s branding merger with MVP.
With Ditcheva's return and Carmouche’s consistent performance, the fight has all but cleared the final hurdles. What remains is the scheduling details. If Martin's goal is met, the pairing could be finalized before the end of the year.