Marc Diakiese dreams of bringing PFL to Africa along with Francis Ngannou

The erstwhile UFC lightweight contender is hoping to marque a sanction for himself successful the satellite of PFL up of the World Tournament - which starts successful April

Former UFC lightweight prima Marc Diakiese has aspirations of bringing the PFL to his beloved Africa alongside Francis Ngannou.

At 31, 'Bonecrusher' has moved onto pastures caller aft leaving the UFC and has signed with 1 of the fastest-growing MMA organisations successful the world successful PFL. After 7 years successful the UFC, Diakiese racked up a respectable grounds of 8-7, but it was clip for a caller challenge.

Last month, the PFL announced the motorboat of its caller 2025 World Tournament - which features 8 value classes, each with 8 fighters competing to assertion the rubric of PFL Tournament Champion. Due to get underway successful April, fighters indispensable triumph 3 consecutive fights successful 5 months oregon look going location empty-handed. Billed arsenic 'one shot, azygous elimination,' this twelvemonth promises to beryllium different historical 1 for the promotion and Diakiese conscionable had to beryllium a portion of it.

Despite being offered a caller woody with the UFC, the Brit enactment pen-to-paper connected a woody with the PFL. Reflecting connected the decision, helium exclusively told Mirror Fighting: "As a combatant you spell and comparison the marketplace and however it’s going and watching different fighters and the guys that I bid with that person fought nether the PFL. I spoke to Francis (Ngannou), helium gave maine advice. For me, the PFL made consciousness for maine and I privation I signed sooner, but we’re present now. I’m warring with them present and I’m warring successful the tournament. I’m conscionable blessed to beryllium here."

During his clip with the UFC, Diakiese made a spot of a wont of breathtaking fans with his breathtaking style. While it sometimes ended up costing him, the 31-year-old plans to bring his unmissable warring benignant to the PFL, but admits he'll beryllium a small much screwed connected successful his approach. "I volition beryllium exciting, that’s my main thing," helium continued. "I feel, arsenic a fighter, I’m reaching my prime. I’m 31, 32 next. I consciousness I’m successful my premier present wherever I should execute to wherever I privation to due to the fact that present I consciousness similar I cognize however to fight, whereas before, possibly I’d conscionable spell successful a small spot brainsick and spell successful without a gameplan. But now, I spell successful with a gameplan similar a professional. I deliberation I’m successful my premier to bash things right."

Over the years, determination person been galore apical stars to travel retired of Africa, including Ngannou, Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya. All aforementioned names person gone connected to assertion golden successful the UFC. However, nary large MMA promotion has, arsenic of yet, staged a historical lawsuit successful the continent, but Diakiese wants to alteration that.

Should helium triumph the PFL tourney this year, the 31-year-old is targeting a PFL lawsuit successful Africa - wherever helium tin diagnostic connected the amusement on with Ngannou. "That’d beryllium amazing!" He said with a cheerful smile. "That’d beryllium a imagination travel true. Imagine maine warring successful Africa and immoderate Congolese supporters there. That’d beryllium thing else! He added: "For example, erstwhile I spell to Congo, they telephone maine the ‘champ.’ I’m their champion regardless. So erstwhile I’m determination warring for them, it’d mean a lot. "

On the taxable of Ngannou, 'The Predator' continues to predominate the athletics of MMA astatine the property of 38. Following his exit from the UFC, helium decided to effort his luck successful the satellite of boxing. After nearly pulling disconnected a immense upset against Tyson Fury, the Cameroon prima returned to the ringing past year, but was convincingly beaten by Anthony Joshua.

That said, aft his 2 outings successful the squared-circle, Ngannou received a batch of plaudits for his determination earlier deciding to instrumentality to the cage successful October. The 38-year-old needed little than 4 minutes to render Renan Ferreira unconscious successful their heavyweight rubric fight.

The 38-year-old continues to animate many, including bully person Diakiese. "Francis is simply a precise humble person," helium said. "It conscionable shows what you tin execute if you enactment your caput to it and your bosom and psyche into it. He works hard! It conscionable shows however acold you tin spell arsenic agelong arsenic you support working. He’s doing well. He’s going backmost location and helping different people, opening gym, a charity. He’s truly idiosyncratic I tin look up to and deliberation ‘wow, he’s done great.’ For him getting these fights, these boxing matches, I consciousness similar it’s a blessing from what helium does down the country and you can’t complain. You’ve got to spot that arsenic a motivation. He’s similar a Super Man!"

With a full prize wealth of $20million, each victor of the tourney volition person $500,000. While immoderate different combatant would beryllium splashing the currency connected themselves, 'Bonecrusher' remains humble arsenic ever and admitted he'd emotion to instrumentality attraction of his household and springiness thing backmost to his beloved Congo. "Right now, I’m conscionable going to marque sure, by the clip I’ve finished, my household is good," helium said.

"I’m set, I’ve got everything similar my gym, my house. I conscionable similar to beryllium acceptable erstwhile I’ve got different things going on. It’s not bully erstwhile you combat each six months because, if you’re a full-time fighter, you’re utilizing the wealth you got from six months agone truthful it’s not good. So this tourney gave maine a accidental and an accidental wherever I’m warring often and I’m making wealth for my family. I spot MMA arsenic my signifier wherever I tin physique down it. So it’d beryllium bully to get the wealth and acceptable up my family."

He added: I’m looking to person my ain promotion successful Congo for fighters arsenic there’s minimal opportunities. If I tin bash the amusement for them, springiness them opportunities, I’ll consciousness similar I’ve achieved something. That’s thing I’m reasoning to do, but isolated from that, I’m good."

Diakiese insists determination are a batch of Mike Tysons successful the continent, but don't person the resources to showcase their skills. That said, the 31-year-old is hoping to alteration that and spell down arsenic a existent pioneer for combat sports successful Africa. "I’d similar to spell and springiness different guys opportunities to perform. When you spell to Congo, there’s nary opportunities but there’s a batch of Mike Tyson’s implicit there. You deliberation if these guys are fixed opportunities to bid properly, they’ll beryllium different. So, for maine I conscionable privation to springiness them an accidental if I can. That’d beryllium thing that I consciousness similar I’ve achieved thing successful life."

The PFL World Tournament is acceptable to statesman successful April - with European fans being capable to watercourse each of the enactment unrecorded connected DAZN