PFL 7 Results: Denis Goltsov and Dakota Ditcheva Dominate with Swift Knockouts

Denis Goltsov (left), Dakota Ditcheva (right)

Denis Goltsov is heading to his second straight PFL championship after a dominant performance in the PFL 7 main event. The 34-year-old Russian heavyweight runner-up from 2023 made quick work of Tim Johnson, securing a spot in the 2024 heavyweight finals. Goltsov, the bracket’s No. 1 seed, tripped Johnson to the mat early and unleashed a barrage of punches to force a stoppage at 2:26 of the first round. Now 7-1 under the PFL banner since 2022, Goltsov's only loss came in a second-round knockout by Renan Ferreira in the 2023 finals.

In the heavyweight finals, Goltsov will face No. 2 seed Oleg Popov, who earned his spot by defeating Linton Vassell via unanimous decision. Popov’s grappling dominance secured him a trio of 30-27 scores, keeping his $1 million dream alive.

The co-main event showcased Dakota Ditcheva, the undefeated No. 1 seed in the women’s flyweight division, as she dismantled Jena Bishop with a first-round TKO. Ditcheva, now 13-0, evaded an early takedown before dropping Bishop with a knee to the head. Allowing Bishop to stand, Ditcheva then delivered a perfect right hand, ending the fight at 3:54. Reflecting on her victory, Ditcheva said,

“Did they expect [me to win]? Because I took a lot of crap-talking off the internet. Her whole fight week, all the girls in the tournament — I think I’ve proved enough just there. We don’t do no split decisions around here.”

Ditcheva’s opponent in the finals will be No. 2 seed Taila Santos, who overcame Liz Carmouche in a unanimous decision. Santos took control early, hunting for a rear-naked choke and landing hard right hands, securing 29-28 scores. Carmouche’s missed weight by one pound didn’t factor in due to Santos' success. PFL 7 took place on August 2 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.