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Taila Santos believes Dakota Ditcheva was given a a lot simpler path to the PFL Playoffs.
Each Santos, who as soon as gave Valentina Shevchenko a run for her cash contained in the Octagon, and Ditcheva are one win away from advancing to the PFL flyweight remaining. Santos has gone 2-0 since making her Good Cage debut earlier this 12 months, defeating Ilara Joanne and Jena Bishop throughout the common season.
However regardless of her personal success, the one-time UFC title challenger believes Ditcheva was handed extra favorable matchups to safe her spot within the remaining 4.
“The fights they had been giving her at first, it’s fairly clear they had been giving her a simple run so she might make it to the finals,” Santos informed MMA Fighting. “That’s why I mentioned I wish to present her what an actual combat is all about, a troublesome combat. I fought powerful fights for the reason that starting and I don’t care. That’s precisely what I would like. I wish to powerful fights to indicate I’m the most effective.”
Ditcheva scored the No. 1 seed within the playoffs with wins over Lisa Mauldin, a 6-5 fighter from California, and Chelsea Hackett, a 4-3-1 Aussie who made an look on Dana White’s Contender Sequence in 2020. Ditcheva earned her means into this 12 months’s common season after successful the PFL Europe Championship in 2023, working by three opponents with a mixed report of 13-10.
In the meantime, Santos has greater than confirmed herself by going 5 rounds with former UFC flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko and incomes wins over the likes of Joanne Wooden, Roxanne Modafferi, Molly McCann, and Gillian Robertson.
Although she’s in no way trying previous her subsequent opponent, Santos can’t assist however salivate over the concept of assembly Ditcheva within the match remaining.
“It’s going to be actually to have each of us attending to this remaining and preventing one another,” Santos mentioned. “I simply wish to be within the remaining and face whoever, however it will be fairly fascinating to combat her. I would love to combat Dakota as a result of followers would love this one. Individuals are speaking about this combat, and I wish to present her what an actual combat is like. It might be thrilling. I’m very excited to face her, actually.”
Taila Santos must undergo girls’s MMA legend liz Carmouche if she desires to satisfy Ditcheva within the flyweight remaining
However to get there, Taila Santos must get previous two-time UFC title challenger and present Bellator flyweight girls’s champion, Liz Carmouche.
“It’s an unbelievable combat. All respect to her, an unbelievable athlete as effectively, a veteran, and it’s an honor for me to combat her,” Santos mentioned. “I’m very versatile as a fighter, though I grew up coaching Muay Thai earlier than coaching jiu-jitsu and wrestling and every thing else. I really feel tremendous comfy in all areas right now. I prefer it so much, and I do know she tries to grapple extra, to again her opponents towards the cage and impose her recreation. It’s going to be a really fascinating recreation.”
As for the way she sees issues enjoying out in Ditcheva’s semi-final scrap with Jena Bishop, Santos isn’t totally satisfied that the Manchester native will get the job accomplished.
“I feel it’s going to be shut,” Santos mentioned. “It gained’t be a simple combat for both of them. If Jena can shut the gap and take her down rapidly and never give Dakota area on the toes — Dakota is aware of her to make use of her attain and she or he’s highly effective. Jena shocked me, she’s actually robust and I wasn’t anticipating that. She’s very skilled, so she will win this if she will shut the gap.”
“I got here right here to win this belt,” Santos added. “I’m able to go to the ultimate and win, irrespective of who I’m preventing there. I’m right here to combat the most effective.”
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