After an anxious few months awaiting the news, British lightweight Marc Diakiese's debut fight was finally announced. He will face Swedish veteran Reza Madadi in Manchester on October 8 at UFC 204. 

Diakiese got his first taste of a UFC Fight Night in Hamburg, where he cornered his teammate Scott Askham for his fight against Jack Hermansson. Despite being away from home, Diakiese didn't let up on his training, and continued to put the hours in at the gym.

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Right after UFC Fight Night 93 concluded, Diakiese headed to the gym buzzing from the excitement of what he had just witnessed. Suffice to say, the former BAMMA lightweight champion is more motivated than ever to put in the work.

"I'm excited, man--I just can't wait," Diakiese said with a grin. "I've been working really hard in the gym, but it's not like I've been going all out or anything stupid. I do lots of technical stuff so I don't hurt myself smashing myself up. I've just been drilling my techniques over and over and making them perfect. Of course, when it comes closer to the fight I'll really start picking my fitness up and putting the rest of it all together.

"Right now, I'm doing boxing and sparring at least one a week. I do Thai boxing, but I'm constantly just mixing it up really. I know I've got to work hard, and I'm prepared to do what it takes."

Paying his dues to get to the top

Diakiese's late-night gym session in Hamburg wasn't a one-off. The UFC newcomer has been putting an incredible number of hours every day in the gym and travels long distances in the early hours of the morning to get to the best training facilities possible.

While some may not fancy the two-hour car trip to boxing at 4AM every morning, Diakiese believes these sacrifices are worth it -- especially when he can see the big improvements he's making.

"My last two knockouts show my progression," Diakiese said. "I've got all this new experience from traveling to Sweden to train at Allstars, coming back and moving to ASW--I feel like this really helped me improve all areas of my game and now It's just about going out there on fight night and just being the best version of me. If I do that, I know nobody can stop me."

His 'Knockout of the Year' contender at BAMMA 25

The fight that sealed Diakiese's UFC deal was his incredible knockout of Kane Mousah at BAMMA 25 in May. Diakiese finished the fight in devastating fashion with the first punch he threw after just 36 seconds in the first round. It sent a big message to the UFC brass that he was ready for a call.

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"It feels amazing when you get a knockout like that," Diakiese said. "It just feels like all that hard work, all those early mornings, all those late-night gym sessions--in just one second, everything you've sacrificed is paid back. It means the world to me, it means everything.

"I can't tell you how many times I've watched that knockout--it has to be over one hundred times. I try to look at my hand, but even now, I just can't see it because it's too fast. I still have a pain in my hand every now and then because it was that hard a punch. That won't be the last one, though -- 100 percent, there are more of them on the way."

Starting with a bang and finishing Madadi

If Diakiese is to continue his run of knockout finishes, he must finish a man who hasn't been defeated in 10 years. Diakiese is aware of the threat Madadi presents, but he still thinks he has all the bases covered and thinks it will be a quick night of work for him on October 8.

"He's got heart and I like his aggression," Diakiese said. "He better be aware, though, that will just bring the best out of me. I've looked at his tape, and I have trained with him before, but what he doesn't realize is that I'm a different fighter now.

"I know I'm going to go out there and I'm going to get it done first round. I will go out there and put him away quick. Anything I bring, I know he's going to be in total shock, but I know exactly what he's going to do. They [Allstars] do the same thing every day at the same times. I mix everything up and I test myself. He will expect one thing and get something different."

While Diakiese is expecting to surprise Madadi with what he has for him on fight night, the lightweight prospect gave British fans a little idea of what to expect at UFC 204.

"Trust me, they will know I've arrived," Diakiese said. "I bring everything to table--spinning kicks, jumping knees, knockouts, anything you can name I'm bringing that to Octagon and more. My confidence is higher than ever now and everything I throw dangerous."