Behind the Fighter: Dakota Ditcheva
- 7 years ago
Muay Thai female inspiration, Dakota Ditcheva joins Fight Life TV in another gripping Behind The Fighter segment.
At just 18 Dakota has shot to fame in the combat sports industry after dominating the ring and racking up an impressive 10-0-0 record.
Fighting has always been a part of her life, when she was four years old she entered two competitions. However this was a short introduction into Thai Boxing as she left the ring and took up dance and gymnastics.
Despite developing other interests she ended up returning to the ring at 13 were she began to take the sport more seriously. Her training became more intense her skills more refined and her determination to succeed excelled.
She began to enter more competitions at an amateur level ones that she won. By 2015 she had won the European and UK world Championships and named the Young Sportsperson of the Year. Shortly after she became a pro fighter and succeeded in building an outstanding career.
“I just want to be up there, fighting the best and being at the right level. Being at the top and staying there as long as I can is just the goal.”
Muay Thai isn’t just something she is interested in, in fact the sport is more of a family affair investment. Her mother, Lisa Howard holds four world championship titles in different combat sport categories and her brother Cody has a pro fight record of 5-0-0.
Training out of her mother’s gym, Northern Spirit, Dakota has the refined coaching from her mother, brother and her other coach Leeroy who advance her game and perfect her technique.
Having such a strong team in her corner enables her fighting to be more profound, accurate and destructive to her opponents.
Something which she will have to draw on when it comes to her next fight at YAKKAO were she will face No1. British Champ, Amy Pirnie. This is going to be the most challenging and biggest UK fight that Dakota will enter.
Unlike previous fights Dakota anticipates this one will go the distance and last at least to the third round whereas other fights have usually been cut short due to her unyielding blows. Whilst this is something that excites her it’s also a worry for her coach/mother who sees this as a potential pitfall that Dakota could stumble into.
This fight will challenge her stamina, pace and endurance in what is set to be a phenomenal and enthralling fight.
Lisa Howard: “To me Amy is the stronger opponent but Dakota’s been with strong opponents before and I think it will be a really good fight.”
Not only is this a fight that will test her it’s also one that has the potential to propel her career. If she takes the win she has very few opponents in the UK that she can face. Muay Thai is a grossly underrated sport, especially for women. There are few opponents and Dakota will inevitably end up fighting abroad and eventually end up transitioning to MMA.
A move that she is excited for and one that she feels will also promote women in the combat sports industry. She has already built up quite the following and hopes to continue inspiring women all over to get involved with combat sports.
“I think I could inspire women because I prove that you don’t have to be a macho woman. You can get in the ring and fight but you can also be girly.”
At just 18 Dakota has shot to fame in the combat sports industry after dominating the ring and racking up an impressive 10-0-0 record.
Fighting has always been a part of her life, when she was four years old she entered two competitions. However this was a short introduction into Thai Boxing as she left the ring and took up dance and gymnastics.
Despite developing other interests she ended up returning to the ring at 13 were she began to take the sport more seriously. Her training became more intense her skills more refined and her determination to succeed excelled.
She began to enter more competitions at an amateur level ones that she won. By 2015 she had won the European and UK world Championships and named the Young Sportsperson of the Year. Shortly after she became a pro fighter and succeeded in building an outstanding career.
“I just want to be up there, fighting the best and being at the right level. Being at the top and staying there as long as I can is just the goal.”
Muay Thai isn’t just something she is interested in, in fact the sport is more of a family affair investment. Her mother, Lisa Howard holds four world championship titles in different combat sport categories and her brother Cody has a pro fight record of 5-0-0.
Training out of her mother’s gym, Northern Spirit, Dakota has the refined coaching from her mother, brother and her other coach Leeroy who advance her game and perfect her technique.
Having such a strong team in her corner enables her fighting to be more profound, accurate and destructive to her opponents.
Something which she will have to draw on when it comes to her next fight at YAKKAO were she will face No1. British Champ, Amy Pirnie. This is going to be the most challenging and biggest UK fight that Dakota will enter.
Unlike previous fights Dakota anticipates this one will go the distance and last at least to the third round whereas other fights have usually been cut short due to her unyielding blows. Whilst this is something that excites her it’s also a worry for her coach/mother who sees this as a potential pitfall that Dakota could stumble into.
This fight will challenge her stamina, pace and endurance in what is set to be a phenomenal and enthralling fight.
Lisa Howard: “To me Amy is the stronger opponent but Dakota’s been with strong opponents before and I think it will be a really good fight.”
Not only is this a fight that will test her it’s also one that has the potential to propel her career. If she takes the win she has very few opponents in the UK that she can face. Muay Thai is a grossly underrated sport, especially for women. There are few opponents and Dakota will inevitably end up fighting abroad and eventually end up transitioning to MMA.
A move that she is excited for and one that she feels will also promote women in the combat sports industry. She has already built up quite the following and hopes to continue inspiring women all over to get involved with combat sports.
“I think I could inspire women because I prove that you don’t have to be a macho woman. You can get in the ring and fight but you can also be girly.”