Ditcheva Moves On From Carmouche and Targets Jena Bishop

A fight between Dakota Ditcheva and Liz Carmouche had long been discussed in the PFL. After Friday night in Chicago, Ditcheva says that fight has lost its purpose. Jena Bishop beat Carmouche by decision to become the promotion's first women's flyweight champion, and the unbeaten English fighter believes the conversation has moved on.

Speaking backstage at the WinTrust Arena, Ditcheva (16-0) said she does not need the Carmouche fight and that her career does not depend on it. She wants to reach a level Carmouche never managed, and she argued that the promotion can sell a fight with Bishop much better than one with Carmouche.

"I'm not scared to fight anybody"

The PFL had avoided booking the two even before Chicago, and Carmouche ran with the idea that Ditcheva was afraid of her. Ditcheva responded, saying Carmouche should take a step back and think about what she says. She insisted she is not scared of Carmouche or anyone else, and admitted the fight might still happen one day. But she is tired of hearing that it is the fight to make. "She just lost to Jena. It's not the fight to make anymore."

A rematch with Bishop

Ditcheva and Bishop faced off in the cage on Friday to set up a title rematch. Timing depends on Ditcheva's hands: she broke both of them in her last fight and has only just been cleared to box again, which should allow a return early next year. She said she hopes for February or March.

With Bishop now holding the belt, Ditcheva said that the ball is in the champion's court, while still calling herself the golden girl of the promotion and saying Bishop will have to come up with a strategy. Asked how the rematch would play out, she predicted it would probably look like their first fight. She credited Bishop with improving and with taking heavy shots against Carmouche, but said she was not overly impressed by the level she saw and that she is a very different opponent from Carmouche.