Tag: Marc Diakiese

Marc Diakiese makes promotional debut vs. Tim Wilde at Bellator London

Marc Diakiese has his first assignment after years in the UFC, and it’ll be in his back yard.

[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] has his first assignment after years in the UFC, and it’ll be in his back yard.

The London-based fighter was expected to fight once this year either for Bellator or the PFL, which purchased Bellator in 2023, and then enter the 2025 PFL lightweight season on a quest for a $1 million title. Friday, Bellator announced he’s got a booking for the fall.

Diakiese (17-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will take on [autotag]Tim Wilde[/autotag] (17-5-1, 5-2-1 BMMA) at the Bellator Champions Series: London event set for Sept. 14 at OVO Arena Wembley.

Diakiese went 8-7 as a UFC lightweight over a stretch of about seven years. He won his first three fights in the promotion and moved to a 12-0 record, but then hit a slump of three straight losses and five setbacks in seven fights.

He left the UFC with a win this past November โ€“ a split call over Kaue Fernandes in Sao Paulo. Diakiese fought in England five times in the UFC and went 4-1 in front of his home fans.

Wilde had a six-fight unbeaten streak snapped with a first-round knockout loss to Manoel Sousa in March. Prior to that, he was on a 5-0-1 run in Bellator after a 2019 setback to former champion Brent Primus in a main event.

Marc Diakiese explains leaving UFC for PFL: ‘I couldn’t really say no’

It’s uncommon for fighters shift organizations after a UFC win, but new PFL signee Marc Diakiese is one of the few exceptions.

It’s uncommon to see fighter shift organizations after a UFC win, but [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] is one of the few exceptions.

PFL announced at this past Thursday’s 2024 PFL 4 event that it had signed Diakiese (17-7) to an exclusive contract. The news came as a surprise to some, because Diakiese was last seen earning a split decision victory over Kaue Fernandes at UFC Fight Night 231 in November.

Diakiese made his UFC debut in October 2016 and went 8-7 over a 15-fight stint with the organization. Diakiese revealed the fight with Fernandes was the last on his contract, and although his expectations were to sign a new UFC contract, he said PFL swooped in with an irresistible offer.

“It was just one of these things: I felt like it was coming, and honestly after my last fight โ€“ the fight in London (vs Joel Alvarez), that was that last fight on my contract and I got sent to Brazil last-minute (for Fernandes),” Diakiese told MMA Junkie. “I knew I was a free agent, but then the UFC would still give me a contract so I was waiting because I was meant to be on the July card. Then PFL came about with a good offer, and I couldn’t really say no. So I asked (UFC) to let me go and try for something else, and that’s what I did.”

Diakiese said he’s excited to start a new chapter of his career with PFL. He expects to make his debut in September in October in a “one-off” fight. He will then wait for the calendar to flip to 2025 and will have a spot in the lightweight regular season.

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The rest of the field isn’t set for the 2025 season, but Diakiese already likes his chances. He’s fought notable names such as a Rafael Fiziev, Lando Vannata, Joe Duffy, Dan Hooker and more throughout his career, and he doesn’t see anyone else who can match that level of competition.

Diakiese plans to use everything he’s learned during a nearly eight-year UFC run into PFL’s gruelling season format, and he thinks he’s a great candidate to claim the $1 million prize when it’s all over.

“I feel like I’m 31, I’m in my prime now and I’ve got a lot of experience in the UFC,” Diakiese said. “I want to be active, and I feel like PFL their format, the way it is, is perfectly set for me. I know I’m fighting four times a year and I know I’m making money at the same time.

“It helps a lot knowing you’ve got some money that can change your life at the end of four fights. You’ve just got to give it your all. And you’ve got to go out there and try to finish the guys, and this is the right format for me knowing that if I finish these guys I’m going to be right at the top and trying to win the $1 million tournament. It’s great for me.”

UFC veteran Marc Diakiese signs exclusive contract with PFL

Marc Diakiese has landed in the PFL after a 15-fight run under the UFC banner, and is expected to enter the 2025 lightweight season.

[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]’s days with the UFC have come to an end, and has landed a new deal with the PFL.

After debuting in the UFC in 2016 and fighting 15 times with the promotion, Diakiese (17-7) will continue his pro career under a new banner. The England-based fighter is expected to compete once in 2024, and then enter the 2025 PFL regular season to compete for a $1 million championship prize. The promotion announced Diakiese’s signing during the 2024 PFL Europe 2 event in Newcastle, England.

“I am proud to call PFL my new home, and I canโ€™t wait to get started,” Diakiese said in a press release. “I plan to debut in the SmartCage later this year to announce my arrival to the roster, and then I will enter the regular season where Iโ€™m coming for that one million dollar prize money.”

Busting onto the UFC scene with a second-round knockout in his debut, Diakiese, 31, turned a lot of heads as an exciting prospect. He would go on to experience mixed results after winning his first three UFC bouts, exiting the promotion with an 8-7 record. His last appearance was a split decision victory over Kaue Fernandes at UFC Fight Night 231 in November.

Now, “Bonecrusher” looks forward to taking on 155-pound competition under the PFL banner.

“I back myself at Lightweight, and Iโ€™m coming for everyone,” Diakiese said. “This weight class is mine for the taking, and I feel the PFL Championship has my name all over it in 2025.”

Diakiese will be keeping a close eye on competitors in the 2024 tournament, which includes current playoff qualifiers Michael Dufort, Clay Collard, Brent Primus and Elvin Espinoza. Fighters still in the playoff hunt include Gadzhi Rabadanov, Solomon Renfro, Adam Piccolotti, Bruno Miranda, Patricky Freire, and Mads Burnell.

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Benoit Saint Denis vs. Marc Diakiese grappling match headlines ADXC 4 on May 18

UFC standout Benoit Saint Denis will get to compete at home in a grappling match.

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] will get to compete at home in a grappling match.

Saint Denis faces fellow UFC fighter [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] in a no-gi welterweight grappling match, which headlines ADXC 4 May 18 at Dojo De Paris in France, promotion officials announced Monday. Saint Denis was expected to face Arman Tsarukyan, who withdrew due to undisclosed reasons.

After finishing five straight lightweights, Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) saw his winning streak snapped at the hands of Dustin Poirier in a knockout loss at UFC 299 in March. Saint Denis later revealed that he entered the fight with staph infection, which he says hampered his performance.

Diakiese (17-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC) was last seen in action this past November when he edged out Kaue Fernandes at UFC Fight Night 231 in Brazil. He landed three takedowns in the win, which snapped his two-fight losing skid.

Also competing at ADXC 4 is UFC lightweight Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady, who faces Amin Ayoub in a no-gi welterweight grappling match on the main card.

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UFC Fight Night 231 post-event facts: Jailton Almeida sets ground control time record

Check out all the facts from UFC Sao, which saw Jailton Almeida log a record amount of ground control time over Derrick Lewis in the main event.

The UFC’s return to Sao Paulo after more than four years proved to be a forgettable one on Saturday, with UFC Fight Night 231 seeing six of 10 bouts go the distance with three canceled fights in the 48 hours leading up.

One of the fights go to the scorecards was the main event, [autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] (20-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) earned a lopsided but somewhat underwhelming unanimous decision over [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] (27-12 MMA, 18-10 UFC) to remain undefeated in heavyweight competition.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 231.

UFC Fight Night 231 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: 2023 total passes $7 million

UFC Fight Night 231 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

SAO PAULO โ€“ย Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 231 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $145,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 231 took place at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Brazil. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 231 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Don’Tale Mayes[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Elves Brener[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Kaynan Kruschewsky[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rinat Fakhretdinov[/autotag]: $4,500
vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Denise Gomes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Eudarda Moura[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Montserrat Conejo[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kaue Fernandes[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2311 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,033,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $21,552,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.

Marc Diakiese def. Kaue Fernandes at UFC Fight Night 231: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Marc Diakiese’s split decision win over Kaue Fernandes at UFC Fight Night 231 in Sao Paulo.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Kaue Fernandes[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 231 at Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. (Photos by Jason da Silva, USA TODAY Sports)

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Oct. 2-8)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, itโ€™s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, weโ€™ve got your back.

Each week, weโ€™ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Oct. 2-8.

UFC Fight Night 224 post-event facts: Multiple perfect records ruined in London

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC Fight Night 224, which saw several fighters suffer their first career or octagon defeat.

The UFC made its 15th stop in London on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 224, which went down at The O2. It was the longest event of the year so far.

Many of the 15 fights on the docket went to decisions, but one man who didn’t need the judges was [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC), who effortlessly ran through [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag] (24-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) for a first-round TKO in his return from a lengthy injury layoff.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC Fight Night 224.

UFC Fight Night 224 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Four fighters take home $16,000

UFC Fight Night 224 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LONDON โ€“ย Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 224 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $225,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 224 took place at the The 02. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 224 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Julija Stoliarenko[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Andre Fili[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Andre Muniz[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Fares Ziam[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jai Herbert[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Josh Culibao[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Daniel Marcos[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Jonny Parsons[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Mick Parkin[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jamal Pogues[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Bryan Barberena[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Chris Duncan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yanal Ashmoz[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bruna Brasil[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Shauna Bannon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jafel Filho[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Daniel Barez[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2241 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $4,780,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,369,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 224.