Ronda Rousey will always be a massive part of the history of MMA and whilst she was a pioneer in many ways, no female fighter has been able to reach that same level of star power.
There have been many athletes that come along with elements of star potential but the PFL's Dakota Ditcheva appears to have everything.
It was clear that she had a special quality about her when talking to the media but of course, none of that matters if you can't back it up in the cage.
Despite detractors regarding her quality of opponents, Ditcheva has beaten everyone that the PFL has put in front of her to go from winning the PFL Europe tournament last year to advancing to the finals of the regular season this year, where she will take on former UFC title challenger Taila Santos in a must-see bout.
Sean O'Connell Says Dakota Ditcheva Has Everything She Needs To Be A Huge Star
Ditcheva appeared on stage moments before the press conference for Francis Ngannou's PFL debut, where she was joined by Jake Paul who compared her to Rousey.
PFL commentator Sean O'Connell believes that whilst she might be doing it in a different way, he can understand the comparisons between the former face of women's MMA and one of the most exciting contenders around right now.
He spoke in an interview with TalkSPORT about how Ditcheva has the world at her feet because she ticks every box to become a huge star.
She has the potential to be a superstar but not for the same reasons as Ronda Rousey. Ronda was the pioneer, Ronda was the one that broke the barrier and got women into the UFC and unfortunately, that's a milestone that can never be reached again even for someone with the star caliber of Dakota Ditcheva. You could make the argument that it's going to be harder for Dakota to reach those heights of celebrity but she absolutely is capable of it.
"First of all, because of how incredible she is as a fighter but also she understands the media game, right. She knows exactly when to switch off that savage and become the sweetheart again. She's got the look, she's got the charisma and when you have that plus the ability to knock women out like she does, the sky is the limit.
Read also: 2024 PFL 9 Playoffs: Brendan Loughnane vs. Kai Kamaka III Results & Highlights (7 PM ET)