Dakota Ditcheva was supposed to enter the cage on February 7 and remind everyone why she has become one of the most talked-about names in women’s MMA. Instead, the conversation shifted overnight, from momentum to another frustrating standstill that she didn’t see coming. It stings because of the timing.

‘Dangerous’ was pushing herself out of her routine, training hard in Thailand, and hoping to level up before locking into a strict fight camp. And in the midst of that “get uncomfortable to get better” mindset, her hand betrayed her yet again.

Talking to Ariel Helwani, Dakota Ditcheva claimed that the injury affected her emotionally because she had already experienced the broken-hand nightmare before. And with this one came the fear of another long stop-start year, similar to the momentum killer she faced in 2025.

“I was very, very heartbroken at the time. I was like crying for two days straight,” she shared.

She said that she was training in Thailand to spice things up because she thought she’d gotten too comfortable at her home gym. The plan was for growth, but what she got was a break.

“I ended up breaking my hand a little bit while I was over there, which wasn’t very good,” she said.

The only upside is that it is not a repeat of the same injury. This time, it is her right hand that got injured, and luckily, it won’t need surgery to fix.

That is significant since the last time she fractured her hand, in July 2025 against Sumiko Inaba, it slowed things down and turned her schedule into a frustrating blur for the rest of the year. She’s now trying to turn the page quickly. Dakota Ditcheva is currently in the UK with a cast on, and she’s almost at the point where things start loosening up.

With about a week and a half left with the cast, she is looking forward to a move into a splint, depending on what her doctor advises next. If everything goes well, ‘Dangerous’ isn’t thinking about a slow return. Instead, she’s aiming for April or May and is eyeing fighting at least 2 or 3 bouts in 2026. So, will one of those be against Cris Cyborg after the former UFC and Strikeforce champion called out the unbeaten PFL sensation?

Ditcheva responds to Cris Cyborg’s super-fight offer

That comeback plan already has enough pressure on it: fix the hand, return in April or May, and be active through 2026. So, when Cris Cyborg called her out for a possible retirement superfight, it sparked curiosity. On paper, it seems to be a smash hit. In reality, ‘Dangerous’ sees it as a logistical headache rather than a perfect matchup.

Dakota Ditcheva stated that she felt respected by the callout, but she didn’t pretend that it made perfect sense. The issue wasn’t fear but rather weight and timing. The 27-year-old highlighted that she is not a big 125er who can simply add size without consequences, and that unless Cyborg can genuinely drop down to 135 with enough time for ‘Dangerous’ to adjust, it will be a terrible fit.

“If she was even close to 135 and you paid me some big money, hell yeah, I’d get in there—but it just didn’t make sense,” she further told Ariel Helwani. Then Ditcheva pushed back against the idea that Cris Cyborg would give her something. The 27-year-old made it clear that she isn’t playing the grateful rookie.

“Respectfully, she’s not giving the fight. I am,” she added, suggesting that the matchup is significant because of her current rise, and not just Cyborg’s legacy. It was a stark reminder that this isn’t charity; if Cris Cyborg wants one final big moment, she needs ‘Dangerous’ just as much as Ditcheva needs her.