Dakota Ditcheva slams Ronda Rousey for Chimaev cleft palate jab

PFL flyweight champion Dakota Ditcheva has turned on Ronda Rousey after the former UFC bantamweight champion took a shot at Khamzat Chimaev over his cleft palate.

Ditcheva, who had previously cited Rousey as a role model, posted on social media that she was done being a fan following Rousey's comment. "As a mother, you should know better," Ditcheva wrote, according to Sherdog. "The amount of young children navigating difficulties like that while you sit on a worldwide stage mocking it. Do better."

PFL star explains why Rousey comment crossed a line

The British fighter clarified her stance in a follow-up post, explaining that while she has appreciated fighters like Chimaev, Sean Strickland, and Jon Jones for their cage skills, she never held them up as role models the way she did Rousey. "As a young woman & fighter, I have always looked up to Ronda & been inspired by her," Ditcheva wrote. "Without being disrespectful, Chimaev, Sean and Jon were never my role models & not people I looked up to."

Ditcheva's criticism highlights the line between in-cage rivalry and personal attacks on medical conditions. The PFL champion, who has built a reputation for finishing fights inside the distance, had long pointed to Rousey as proof women could headline combat sports.

Rousey has not publicly responded to Ditcheva's posts. Chimaev, who has spoken openly about surgeries to correct his cleft palate as a child, is scheduled to face Shara Magomedov at UFC 328 on May 10.

Source: sherdog.com