Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Mark Diakies recently explained his reasons for moving to rival organization Professional Fighters League.
Diakies announced his move to the PFL earlier this month after ending his 15-fight UFC career. Diakies revealed that his contract with UFC was terminated following a second-round submission loss to Joel Alvarez at UFC London in July 2023. While exploring free agency, the Brit was given a short-term opportunity to face Kaue Fernandez at UFC Sao Paulo in November 2023, where he won by split decision.
Diakiese had expected UFC to renew his contract in time for the promotion’s pay-per-view event in Manchester on July 27, but that offer never came, and “The Bonecrusher” accepted a deal with PFL instead.
“The London fight was the last fight on my contract,” Diakies told MMAjunkie.com. “And then I got sent to Brazil last minute and I just had a fight there, so I knew I was a free agent. But UFC said they were going to give me a contract, so I didn’t get a contract. I was going to be on their July card, so I waited. And, of course, I was a free agent and PFL had a good offer, so I couldn’t turn it down. So I [the UFC] They wanted me to let go and find something else, and I did.”
Diakiese is aiming for one more PFL appearance this year, ideally in September or October, before the start of next year’s season. The PFL’s seasonal format will be new territory for Diakiese, but he believes the format of having a clear path suits him better.
“I just love it. I love it. As a fighter, I feel like this is how I have to fight,” he said. “There’s no, ‘Oh, he has more fans, this is that,’ there’s no strategy. [to of] “I’m going to fight other fighters. I’m just going to fight and win. That makes things simple. I know where I’m going and I have the map.”
The PFL season sees fighters advance to a playoff based on a points system that awards bonus points for finishes, and while only two of his eight wins at UFC have come by finish, Diakiese believes the extra points from a stoppage win could put him at the top of the PFL tournament bracket.
“that [the $1 million prize] “It helps a lot. You get four matches and then you’ve got life-changing money up for grabs,” Diakiese said. “So you just have to give it your all. And I like the fact that you have to try and beat your opponent. And this is the right format for me. If I know I’m going to beat my opponent, I’ll come out on top. And then to have a shot at winning a million-dollar tournament is awesome for me.”
