PFL Africa: Dakota Ditcheva shrugs off injured hand to beat Sumiko Inaba by decision

Dakota Ditcheva shrugged disconnected an injured manus arsenic she outclassed Sumiko Inaba to triumph by unanimous determination astatine the PFL Champions Series successful South Africa.

The Manchester combatant ne'er looked successful information arsenic she pummelled Inaba throughout, earlier easing disconnected successful the last circular aft telling her country "I've breached my hand".

Inaba couldn't capitalise arsenic Ditcheva cruised to the last bell, utilizing kicks to support the American astatine bay arsenic she extended the unbeaten commencement to her vocation to 15.

"I deliberation I injured my near hand. I deliberation I'm gutted due to the fact that I've been retired for truthful agelong and past I'm injured again, but I anticipation you guys enjoyed it," said a teary Ditcheva.

The bout was the 26-year-old's archetypal successful 8 months aft becoming the archetypal British pistillate to triumph an MMA satellite rubric successful November.

Ditcheva had voiced her frustrations pre-fight astatine the eight-month lay-off but confirmed aft beating Inaba she has signed a caller woody with the PFL.

"I person conscionable re-signed with PFL, we've travel to a large statement and I'm gonna look guardant to the adjacent fewer years unneurotic successful beforehand of crowds similar this. You guys truly acceptable a standard," she revealed.

The combat paper was besides the archetypal large MMA lawsuit to instrumentality spot successful Africa and Ditcheva paid tribute to the crowd, adding "that was the champion walkout I've ever had, convey you truthful much".

Ditcheva had been vocal astir her clip distant from the cage successful the build-up to the bout, blaming a deficiency of credible opponents for the delay.

She cruised done the PFL flyweight tourney past twelvemonth with 4 consecutive stoppages and, with galore of her opponents warring successful this year's competition, saw small worth successful entering it again.

She was yet paired up with Inaba based connected the 34-year-old winning 8 of her 9 nonrecreational bouts, portion Ditcheva added "there is nary denying her accomplishment level".

Although Inaba showed courageousness and admirable durability throughout, the Briton remained a people above.

Inaba started by pushing guardant but it didn't instrumentality agelong for Ditcheva to initiate the clinch and instrumentality power - arsenic she would passim the combat - to onshore a fig of damaging knees.

She stunned Inaba successful the 2nd circular with an elbow and flurry of strikes, but Inaba showed grit to instrumentality the flyweight champion to the 3rd circular for the archetypal clip successful six bouts.

With the assemblage chanting her name, Ditcheva landed much crunching knees from the clinch earlier adopting a much cautious attack aft injuring her manus aft a punch.

Inaba was already excessively worn down to instrumentality advantage, however, arsenic her hostile utilized kicks to support region earlier showboating and cupping her ears to the assemblage successful victory.

In the main event, Spain's Costello van Steenis bushed American Johnny Eblen to triumph the PFL middleweight rubric successful a singular finish.

With Eblen seemingly heading towards a determination victory, Van Steenis secured a rear-naked choke, forcing the submission with conscionable 9 seconds of the bout remaining.