Marc Diakiese. Remember the name.
The Doncaster fighter made short work of Lukasz Sajewski in his UFC debut. After a mixed first round, Diakiese dominated the second frame to record a powerful TKO victory at UFC 204 in the Manchester Arena in the early hours of Sunday morning.
‘Bonecrusher’ was unfazed by the late start to proceedings which, despite taking place in the UK, ran on the regular schedule of a UFC pay-per-view event to accommodate the North American audience, with the first fight of the night kicking off after midnight.
And Diakiese gave his fans exactly what they had been waiting for, justifying the hype that has surrounded him for some time now.
The undefeated lightweight carried on the form from his recent BAMMA success, which he had signed off with a stunning first-round KO in his last fight before joining the UFC.
Big things have been expected of the 23-year-old and fans took notice of his definitive performance.
Diakiese showing what a ridiculous talent he is, while also demonstrating that it was probably good that he didn't fight Reza Madadi #UFC204
— Phil Mackenzie (@EvilGregJackson) October 9, 2016
Marc Diakiese backing up all the hype. What a way to win in your UFC debut. #UFC204
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 9, 2016
https://twitter.com/Patrick_Wyman/status/784911652500049920
Diakiese is BATTERING Sajewski with punches and knees and he gets the stoppage! Very impressive finish!#UFC204
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) October 9, 2016
This guy, @Marc_Diakiese looks like he could become a big UFC star in the future
— Oliver Sellors (@AcidOli) October 9, 2016
Well done @Marc_Diakiese 👏 fantastic fight , One for the future 👊👊👊👊👊 #UFC204
— Jav Qateel (@JavQ7) October 9, 2016
Diakiese's slam and uppercut though😶
— Chad (@chaddavies24) October 9, 2016
And with the UK’s first ever UFC champion, Michael Bisping, defending his title at the end of the night, British fans were already starting to dream of a second champion.
https://twitter.com/BilalHanif_/status/784915064088358912
After the fight, Diakiese had a simple message for anyone who had been doubting his credentials, and it was hard to argue with him.
Diakiese: "This is where I'm meant to be."
Indeed.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 9, 2016
We look forward to seeing what he can do in the future.
