With the advice of Francis Ngannou weighing heavily on his mind, Marc Diakiese made the decision to walk away from the UFC and sign on the dotted line for the PFL.

Having gained the adoration of the fans through multiple bouts in the UK, the Doncaster fighter is ready to chase pastures new and pursue the $1million dollar dream.

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Francis Ngannou helped Marc Diakiese choose the PFL

Blessed with remarkable athleticism and an incredible array of kicks, Marc Diakiese made an instant splash in the UFC.

With tremendous victories over the likes of Frankie Perez and Teemu Packalén, the Brit looked to have all the talent to make it to the very top.

And while he didn’t quite live up to the expectations some had of him, his star still burns bright. Thus, while his time in the UFC is over, fans are excited for the next chapter.

The 31-year-old has signed on the dotted line for the PFL, where he’ll compete in the company’s $1 million lightweight season.

With an itch to compete still left unscratched, Diakiese is excited to showcase his skills under the rapidly-growing promotion’s banner. And fans of the organization have Francis Ngannou to thank.

In an interview with The Sun, the Brit explained: “My last camp, I was at Xtreme Couture in Vegas, and I’ve been quite good friends with Francis for a while, and he was just giving me some advice and talking to me. And he said, ‘I think you should join’.”

The athlete continued: “He told me they’d promote me, they’d do good things for me. We’re also going to go to Africa, I’m from Congo so that makes sense.

“I listened, took it on board, and when they came, I had no choice but to say yes.”

When will fans get to see Mark Diakiese back in the cage?

While his PFL lightweight season, doesn’t kick off until 2025, fans won’t have to wait too long to watch ‘Bonecrusher’ return to doing what he does best.

The striker will make his PFL debut at some point this year, with fans hopeful a trip to Scotland could be on the cards. And having watched his teammates scale the promotion’s mountain, he’s confident he has what it takes to do the same thing.

He said: “PFL have been on my radar. I know a couple lads I used to train with from ATT, they won it twice. Another lad I know won it, Brendan Loughnane. So, I’m just looking and thinking, ‘Maybe I can do that.’

“I feel like I can win that a couple of times, so that’s a bonus. My main focus is being given a stage to showcase my skills.”