‘I fought street bullies after leaving Africa for the UK – now I want a UFC main event’
Congolese-born English MMA star Marc Diakiese has gone from a troubled youth to UFC stardom and wants to end 2022 on a high to book a ranking shot early next year.
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo back in 1993, Diakiese was disowned by his father after travelling to the UK as a 12-year-old in search of a better life.
Having been booted out of school for fighting and then clashing with bullies on the street of Doncaster, the 29-year-old worked days and nights on the tracks before finding solace in a local gym.
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Speaking exclusively to Daily Star Sport before his lightweight bout against Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs Holland on Saturday (December 3), Diakiese explained the origin of his fighting mindset.
He said: “Fighting was always normal to me and not something I had to learn. I had to learn the martial arts side of it – but it’s always been around me.
“When I moved to Doncaster people tried to bully me, I had no idea how to defend myself so the only option was fighting.
“Fighting all the time and that got me kicked out of school. I then got into a lot of trouble outside of school from fighting in the street. I needed to keep out of trouble so I went to a gym and here we are.”
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Before he began training MMA at the age of 17, Diakiese started a career working on the railway but always knew that his true calling was elsewhere.
He added: “I was working on the tracks, that would’ve been my career. I was doing it for money because I left school early at about 16, but it just didn’t feel like that’s what I wanted to do.
“I was trying to find my way and I feel like fighting was it.”
Diakiese can often be seen training at Great Britain Top Team under Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett and alongside rising star Nathaniel Wood, where he has found home away from home.
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He said: “It’s a great gym with good people including Nath. They take care of me up. It’s a great place and knowing Brad Pickett it made sense for me to go to the gym.”
The lightweight came into the UFC with a perfect record of 9-0 which he quickly extended to 12-0 – and is now back in the winning column having beaten Viacheslav Borschev and Damir Hadzovic to extend his professional MMA record to 16-5.
Having got into the sport as a way of furthering his own life prospects, Diakiese now fights for his partner and two children while looking for a ranked opponent.
He continued: “My mindset was always to be a successful fighter. Even thought where I’m from the mindset is to be humble but I feel like I want more from life.
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“Where I come from you don’t get what you get here. Here you get an opportunity so I have grabbed it with both hands. I always need to keep moving forward. Now I fully know where I am in my career and what I’m capable of doing, I’m on the right path.”
Although the days of his unbeaten record are now a distant memory, Diakiese feels more rounded than ever in his fighting style and keen to put it to the test against veteran Johnson (20-18).
He said: “I’ve had losses and I needed them. When I was going to the United States I feel like it got a bit lost. Whereas now I’m settled, I know what I want from the sport and moving forward everything seems clear.
“It started as the fun of it but now people want to see me fight and win, I have a clear path I know why I do it.”
When put to Diakiese that he has more to lose than his 36-year-old foe, he knows that the onus is on him to put the pressure on – and believes a main event could be the reward.
He concluded: “I’ll get the win and that was my goal to go 3-0 this year. I feel like I’ve been in the UFC a long time now of six years and I want to start main eventing and doing other things. I can’t keep plateauing in the same spot – I need to be moving forward.
“I truly believe that if I beat Michael Johnson in a good fashion and I’ll be ranked top 15 or fighting someone in the top 15. I’ve fought a lot of guys in the rankings like Dan Hooker so I’m knocking on the door.”
Watch Marc Diakiese take on Michael Johnson on the preliminary card of Stephen Thompson’s welterweight clash against Kevin Holland overnight on Saturday December 3 on BT Sport 2HD and across digital platforms.
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