Italy 's Valentina Scatizzi suffered a swollen left eye and was disqualified in the first round of her PFL European mixed martial arts championship match.
The referee ruled Scatizzi (center) out to Ditchetva after doctors determined the Italian fighter could not continue competing in the Flyweight final of the PFL Europe 4 event in Dublin, Ireland on December 8. Screenshot
After advancing through the quarterfinals and semifinals, Scatizzi and British fighter Dakota Lili-Joa Ditcheva will meet for the flyweight championship and $100,000 prize money at PFL Europe 4 in Dublin, Ireland on December 8.
The much-anticipated match ended quickly in the first round when Ditcheva unleashed a series of blows that left Scatizzi's left eye completely closed due to swelling. The doctor had to enter the octagon to check the situation and determined that the Italian boxer was not fit to continue the match.
Ditcheva threw a series of punches that caused Scatizzi's left eye to swell.
The referee then waved the match off and awarded Ditcheva a technical knockout victory. After the decision, the 25-year-old smiled and danced around the octagon in celebration.
Ditcheva even expressed surprise that the referee did not stop the match earlier. "I saw her lose her vision in the last 30 seconds of the round. I was surprised that the referee did not stop the match right away. There is no way the doctor would let her continue fighting with her left eye like that," she said.
Ditcheva grew up in a martial arts family, with her mother Lisa Howarth being a multiple world kickboxing champion and a major influence on her daughter. As a child, Ditcheva trained in a variety of martial arts, including kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu.
Ditcheva celebrates her victory over Scatizzi.
Before turning to professional mixed martial arts (MMA), Ditcheva had a distinguished amateur kickboxing and Muay Thai career, winning multiple championships in both disciplines. She was part of the British team that won the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur World Championships in Jonkoping, Sweden.
Ditcheva has won all 10 of her professional MMA fights, including eight by knockout. Before the Scatizzi fight, the British fighter trained at her mother's gym in Manchester, where she was coached by her brother Cody.
PFL Europe 4 is a mixed martial arts event organized by the Professional Fighters League at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland on December 8. The event features the finals of four divisions in the 2023 PFL Europe season.
Apart from the Scatizzi-Ditcheva fight, the other three finals were between men. In the light heavyweight division, Jakob Nedoh defeated Simeon Powell by technical knockout. Similarly, Jakub Kaszuba defeated John Mitchell in the lightweight division, while Khurshed Kakhorov defeated Frans Mlambo in the bantamweight division.
Hong Duy
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