Diakiese ready to make his Marc

MIXED martial artist Marc Diakiese is hoping it will be a birthday to remember when he competes at UFC Fight Night 107 tomorrow.

The Manchester-trained fighter will look to extend his unbeaten record when he faces Teemu Packalen at London’s O2 Arena.

The lightweight fight comes just two days after Diakiese celebrated his 24th birthday.

He has had to put his celebrations on hold, but insists he will be 100 per cent in the cage.

“I’ll have to wait until after the fight to have some birthday cake but I feel good and I’m ready to put on a show,” he told M.E.N. Sport.

“I’m still in the early stages of my career so I’m trying to make a mark and show everybody what I’m capable of.

“This will be my third fight in quick succession, but I’ve had the right sparring and training and I’m injury free.

“I’m fighting at the O2 Arena which will be great, as the only other time I’ve been on a big stage like that was at the Manchester Arena in October.”

Diakiese’s opponent Packalen hasn’t spent much time in the cage recently, having had just 24 seconds of action since July 2015.

While that may be the case, Diakiese insists that he will not be overlooking the Finnish fighter.

“I don’t believe in cage rust so I’m sure he is going to come to fight and will be at his best,” he said.

“He’s a grappler, but I have better striking. People might think my ground game is terrible but I’d be more than happy to go there with him if need be.”

Another Manchester-trained fighter is also on the bill, with Scott Askham taking on Bradley Scott.

“It’s great to fight in my home country as the fans are amazing,” he said.