In a very close matchup, #37 prospect Marc Diakiese will defend his home turf in England against Finland’s Teemu Packalen.
Diakiese is 2-0 in the UFC signing with the promotion last year and picking up wins over Lukasz Sajewski and Frankie Perez.
Packalen entered the UFC with similar hype as Diakiese but has been a inconsistent thus far going 1-1 with a disappointing loss to Mickael Lebout followed by a 24-second submission victory Thibault Gouti.
It’s quite hard to gauge where he’s at thus far which is actually quite similar to Diakiese.
Diakiese debuted in the UFC with a TKO victory against Sajewski, but then just snuck by with a decision against Frankie Perez in a rather uneventful fight
This fight will be a real prove-em moment for both fighters.
With Diakiese we can expect a lot of energy and creativity with his striking blended with a strong offensive wrestling game. He has the ability to really overwhelm Packalen and should not at all fear Packalen’s ground game.
Although the Swede does have six submission victory and is pretty dangerous, Diakiese will have the clear strength advantage and should be able to dictate where the fight goes.
He should still be cautious of Teemu, but absolutely should not avoid going to the ground.
At times Diakiese will throw some creative strikes, but he might want to stay more conservative this fight. Teemu can catch guys at anytime whether it be armbars, leglocks, or chokes, he can wrap them up quick.
But as long as he stays alert and plays to his strength, he should be able to handle Packalen without issue.
Marc Diakiese: -210 (Favorite)
Age: 23 | Height: 5’10
Weight: 155 | Reach: 73″
Record: 11-0 | KO: 5 | SUB: 1
Notable Wins: Frankie Perez, Lukasz Sajewski
Notable Losses: N/A
Teemu Packalen: +175 (Underdog)
Age: 28 | Height: 6’1
Weight: 155 | Reach: 75.5″
Record: 8-1 | KO: 2 | SUB: 6
Notable Wins: Thibault Gouti
Notable Losses: Mickael Lebout
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