The PFL’s first card of 2026 has taken a significant hit with undefeated women’s flyweight standout Dakota Ditcheva no longer fighting.
The promotion announced Tuesday that Ditcheva (15-0) has sustained an undisclosed injury that will force her out of her matchup with Denise Kielholtz (8-5) at PFL: Road to Dubai on Feb. 7 at Coca-Cola Arena (ESPN App).
PFL officials did not provide details about Ditcheva’s injury or a timeline for her return to competition.
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Ditcheva was recently called out for a superfight by PFL women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg but has yet to issue a formal response.
Ditcheva, 27, last competed July 19 when she won a lopsided unanimous decision against Sumiko Inaba. It was Ditcheva’s only appearance of 2025 after she fought four times in 2024 to claim the PFL women’s flyweight season championship.
The latest PFL: Road to Dubai card now includes:
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Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alfie Davis – for lightweight title
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Ramazan Kuramagomedov vs. Shamil Musaev – for welterweight title
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Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs. Magomed Umalatov
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Pouya Rahmani vs. Karl Williams
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Kolton Englund vs. Amru Magomedov
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Jesus Pinedo vs. Salamat Isbulaev
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Amin Ayoub vs. Makkasharip Zaynukov
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Luke Trainer vs. Rob Wilkinson
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dakota Ditcheva injured, out of first PFL event of 2026
