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Diakiese
Photo Credit: @Danthehangman - Twitter (Cropped)

After suffering the first loss of his professional career, British starlet Marc Diakiese will be hoping to return to winning ways when he faces New Zealander Dan Hooker at UFC 219 in Las Vegas. Hooker took to Twitter to reveal the news.

The card is already shaping up to be potentially great with the likes of Dominick CruzCarlos ConditCynthia Calvillo and former Glory Kickboxing champion Gokhan Saki all scheduled so far. UFC 219 will take place on December 30, leaving “Bonecrusher” a chance to end the year on a high.

With Drakkar Klose bringing his momentum to a shuddering halt and handing the Yorkshireman his first loss of his career, Diakiese took a few months out to re-hone his skills in a bid to come back better and stronger than before.

Rumours of a Klose rematch were imminent with a sequel being the fight that the 24-year-old was crying out for. However, the American was in belief that the Englishman would have to earn his chance and get a winning streak prior to a rematch opportunity.

In Hooker, Diakiese has a mountable challenge ahead of him, arguably being his biggest fight to date. The 27-year-old, fresh off victory against fellow Brit Ross Pearson, is a well-rounded fighter who’s happy for the fight to take place on the ground as well as on the feet. However, like Diakiese, Hooker has had a long time out of the cage.

Having faced reputable fighters such as Yair Rodriguez and Jason Knight, it will soon be seen if Hooker has too much experience for Diakiese or whether the former BAMMA Lonsdale champion will bounce back in style.