Dakota Ditcheva isn’t any stranger to being within the highlight, however one factor she’s come to embrace in her rise within the MMA world is being referred to as “Barbie.” Whereas some may take into account it an insult, the undefeated British fighter has turned the moniker right into a supply of empowerment, utilizing it to gas her victory within the 2024 PFL Ladies’s Flyweight Match.
Dakota Ditcheva on Barbie
Within the lead-up to her showdown with former UFC contender Taila Santos, Dakota Ditcheva was no stranger to the “Barbie” comparisons. After successful her European belt, Santos commented on Ditcheva’s put up, saying, “I want Barbie’s belt,” a comment that caught and added gas to the hearth of their rivalry. However for Ditcheva, the nickname didn’t hassle her in any respect. As a substitute, she embraced it.
“I’m blonde, don’t look like a fighter, but it turned into hate from my last opponent, Taila Santos,” Ditcheva shared talking with Bellator and UFC athlete Michael ‘Venom’ Web page. “Yes, that’s when it started. After I won my European belt, she commented under the post saying, ‘I want Barbie’s belt.’”
Somewhat than viewing the remark as a slight, Ditcheva noticed it as a possibility to showcase the completely different sides of her persona, each as a fighter and as somebody who embraces her look. “Obviously, she’d just come out of the UFC. Yeah, she was coming over to PFL and was like, ‘Okay.’ And then that’s what she’s just run with the whole time now since she’s been with PFL.”
The playful jab did little to derail Dakota Ditcheva’s concentrate on her final aim. When the 2 met within the PFL Flyweight Match closing in November 2024, Ditcheva delivered a dominant efficiency, stopping Santos within the second spherical with a flurry of physique pictures, capturing each the PFL world title and a $1 million prize.
Regardless of Santos’ expertise within the UFC, Dakota Ditcheva’s sharp placing expertise and relentless tempo made fast work of her opponent. It was a historic win for Ditcheva. But even after such a monumental victory, it was the “Barbie” nickname that had Ditcheva grinning. “I think loads of people have enjoyed running with the whole Barbie thing now,” she mentioned, reflecting on how the nickname has grown on her. “Especially my friend—she did me a surprise party and made like a big Barbie box.”
She’s embraced the nickname, turned it right into a enjoyable a part of her persona, and is proving that her expertise are extra than simply seems to be. “Calling me Barbie is not an insult,” she mentioned, “It’s just part of who I am.”
