PFL Finals: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos early preview and prediction

The first of the PFL's semifinal cards is finally over, and it has created quite possibly the most compelling finals matchup of the 2024 season. On Friday, Dakota Ditcheva and Taila Santos took different paths towards booking themselves for the PFL Finals, the championship season-ender that will take place towards the end of the year.

The former once was once again quick in victory, needing only 3:54 to demolish jiu-jitsu ace Jena Bishop with a clinch knee, front kick to the body, and right cross despite being taken down early. The latter, meanwhile, needed the full distance to win, grinding out an overweight Liz Carmouche for three 29-28 scorecards after almost getting a rear-naked choke in the first. And so, onward. How do these two young, gifted women in their primes stack up? And who walks away a million dollars richer?

Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos preview

Ditcheva needs no grand introduction. Ever since she began her MMA career, she has been nothing less than a human highlight reel. The things she can do with her world-class Muay Thai have to be seen to be believed. She is a very prolific finisher, with only one of her bouts so far having gone the distance and eleven of those stoppages having come by way of knockout.

And if anyone thinks she is not as skilled on the ground, she can also find a submission. Malin Hermansson can attest to that, having fallen to a rear-naked choke back in 2023. Not that Ditcheva has to display her grappling skills, but it goes to show that she possesses a killer instinct that not many female fighters have.

And that has made her must-see MMA television in 2024. Both of her regular-season fights went and ended the same way: Lisa Mauldin and Chelsea Hackett looking defeated before the bell rang and getting destroyed within a round.

On the other side is Santos. When she first joined the UFC via Dana White's Contenders Series during the past decade, she was herself a very prolific finisher who, like Ditcheva, had a penchant for knockouts. However, she also mixed it up with the occasional submission.

That made her a vey intriguing prospect when she made her Octagon debut in 2019. That first fight was, surprisingly, a split decision loss to Mara Romero Borella. But that did not hinder her, as she would win her next four fights, the last being a rear-naked choke submission of Joanne Wood, to earn herself a shot at dominant then-champion Valentina Shevchenko.

That fight was very close, with Santos continuing to fight despite bleeding profusely from her eye and barely being able to see everything after an inadvertent clash of heads. In fact, Shevchenko dropped a scorecard for the first time as a flyweight. But it did not matter, as the other two went in her favor.

After over a year to heal and regroup, Santos drew the fast-rising Erin Blanchfield in Singapore. By then, Shevchenko was no longer the champion, having been shockingly dethroned by Alexa Grasso at UFC 285. Suddenly, the window to clinch that elusive title seemed within reach

Instead, she dropped another decision. Still, it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before she would get another opportunity to rebound ... And then it vanished. In November 2023, Santos left the UFC after her contract ended. So what happened? She wanted a Shevchenko rematch and was upset when she did not get it - not her only gripe, but certainly the biggest.

Four months later, she joined the PFL and now looks set to reap the rewards of the move. Heading into the finals, she has a massive chip on her shoulder, looking to prove that Dana White was wrong for ditching her. And she could have not drawn a more prominent opponent than Ditcheva, the promotion's golden girl.

It is no secret that the PFL wants to make Ditcheva the "face of the franchise", and her detractors have claimed that she was given cans to bolster not just her record, but her image as well. Santos is the first legitimately experienced opponent she will ever face. So, how does this fight go?

Dakota Ditcheva vs. Taila Santos prediction

Each woman brings a unique set of strengths: Ditcheva and her deadly Muay Thai, and Santos and her well-rounded game. As said before, these two are in their primes; and expect their ensuing clash to be very hard-fought over the course of five rounds. A draw is very likely, the first time it will have happened in a PFL title fight; however, Santos just has more tools, more experience, and more hunger. She will halt the hype train and take a very competitive decision.

Official prediction: Santos via decision.