London, UK – UFC lightweight Marc Diakiese surprised most fans as he employed a wrestling-heavy game plan when he defeated Damir Hadzovic at UFC London on Saturday night.
“I’ve been working a lot of things. My wrestling, I’m trying to put my game more round together. When you take a couple of losses people start to talk. Myself, I know what my game was. I was just striking I didn’t really mix it all properly,” Diakiese told Cageside Press among other media at his post-fight scrum.
“I’ve been working a lot (on) my wrestling to try and put everything together.”
Fans were a surprised that Diakiese did not choose to stand and strike with Hadzovic to make it a fan-friendly fight. Even the commentary team chimed in on the fact that they expected him to keep the fight standing.
After the fight all anyone talked about what his improvements in his wrestling game. To do it for a full 15 minutes was a statement in itself for the lightweight.
“Before people used to say ‘he hasn’t got cardio. He can’t wrestle’. I think now people will start thinking. They used to say all that but now I show that I can wrestle. I’ve got the fitness that people said I didn’t have,” Diakiese said.
“I’m still learning. Just trying to get to the title and I’m working really hard for that.”
Watch the full UFC London post-fight press scrum with Marc Diakiese above.
