Marc Diakiese has his first mission after years in the UFC, and it will be in his backyard.
The London-based fighter was expected to fight once this year for Bellator or the PFL, which purchased Bellator in 2023, and then enter the 2025 PFL lightweight season seeking the $1 million title. Friday, Bellator announced it is booked for the fall.
Diakiese (17-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will face Tim Wilde (17-5-1, 5-2-1 BMMA) in the Bellator Champions Series: London event set for September 14 at OVO Arena Wembley.
Diakiese had an 8-7 record as a UFC lightweight over about seven years. He won his first three fights in the promotion and achieved a 12-0 record, but then suffered a slump of three straight losses and five setbacks in seven fights.
He left the UFC with a victory last November – a split decision over Kaue Fernandes in São Paulo. Diakiese fought five times in England in the UFC and went 4-1 in front of the fans.
Wilde went on a six-fight unbeaten run, interrupted with a first-round knockout defeat to Manoel Sousa in March. Before that, he was on a 5-0-1 run in Bellator following a 2019 setback to former champion Brent Primus in a main event.
