Dakota Ditcheva says she has “cried non-stop” after breaking both of her hands in the win over Denise Kielholtz – just months after recovering from similar injuries.

The Briton outclassed Kielholtz at PFL New York earlier this month to win by unanimous decision in her first fight in just over a year.

The 28-year-old had not fought since July 2025 as a result of breaking her left hand – then suffered a fracture in her other hand five months later.

Despite comfortably beating Kielholtz on her return, Ditcheva says she fought the majority of the contest with two broken hands.

“I broke my hands in the fight. I could feel it from the second I started the second round,” she said on YouTube., external

“I didn’t tell my corner. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t show it this time, and I didn’t actually tell anybody until I got out of the cage.

“I am back in splints until my surgeon has decided what the next steps are going forward, which will be in the next few days.”

Ditcheva, who extended the unbeaten start to her career to 16 fights, said one of her injuries occurred after opting not to have surgery on it last year while the other is a “small break on the other finger that didn’t hold up so well”.

“The good thing is I have no new breaks. It’s just the hand that wasn’t operated on that I broke at the end of last year,” added Ditcheva.

“I was told that if I didn’t go ahead with surgery at that time, there was a possibility it could break again. I took the risk in not doing the surgery because I was hoping it would hold strong, and it didn’t.

“So therefore I’m paying the price for it now and I will be out for a little bit.”

The injuries are another setback for Ditcheva, one of the biggest stars in the PFL and one of Britain’s most talented fighters.

She won the PFL’s flyweight tournament in 2024 to become the first British woman to claim a major MMA world championship, while securing a $1m (£787,000) prize.

Ditcheva is confident her lay-off will not last as long as her previous time on the sidelines.

“I have honestly cried non-stop the last week,” she said.

“I will be back. This is not going to take me out. My career is not done.

“Although it felt like that once again, I will be back. I’m hopefully going to be back quicker than I was last time.”