I left war-torn Congo at 12 without speaking any English and got bullied… but it turned me into a feared MMA star

AFTER Marc Diakiese left war-torn Congo at 12 for a better life in England he was mercilessly bullied - but it turned him into a feared fighter. Diakiese was born in Kinshasa, the capital of Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has been in conflict since 1994. Desperate to escape the dangerous war zones, Diakiese flew over 4,000 miles to join his uncle who was already living in Doncaster. But the young immigrant struggled to settle and found himself the target of cruel bullies, unable to speak the language.

Diakiese told SunSport: "When I was young, a lot of people tried to bully me at school and that got me into a lot of trouble when you can't speak English. "Like I remember one time my teacher said to me, 'Do you understood?' I said, 'No!' And I got it for that, not knowing what I was saying. "I just got into a lot of trouble and that ended up me getting kicked out of school. "And when I got out of school, I think because I was fighting in school already, outside I just carried on.

"I had a made a name and when I go outside school, people wanted to fight me more. I got into a lot of trouble with the police and everybody. "So I just thought I'd try keep myself out of trouble and MMA is what saved me and put me in the right place.". CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS. In and out of trouble with the law, Diakiese got kicked out of his house at 16 by his uncle and was in desperate need of a distraction.

That is when he stumbled across the local MMA gym next door to him - and by 17 Diakiese started in MMA. He was a talented amateur before turning professional in 2013. But paydays in the cage were small and Diakiese needed to make money to provide for his son Junior and daughter Matilda. He got a job as a railway engineer - sometimes clocking in on the SAME NIGHT as his fights. Diakiese said: "It was very depressing because I'm having to work and sometimes you get in the van and people are smoking.

"And you're thinking, 'I'm trying to make a living.' And if you tell the office you become a grass. I was just trying to do what's best for me. "But yeah, I still worked full time, once I had a pro fight straight after the fight, I went to work. So it was difficult.". "No, not at all! I was just doing it to help my family, but I didn't do it out of love.". But does Diakiese - who has been a full-time fighter for eight years now - ever miss night shifts on the tracks?.

He replied: "No, not at all! I was just doing it to help my family, but I didn't do it out of love.". Diakiese is only 31 but stands as a veteran of the British scene, a pro of 12 years now. But he left the UFC in 2024 and signed for the Professional Fighters League. Diakiese will star in a new-look PFL tournament in 2025, consisting of three knockout stage bouts with winners earning a $500,000 bonus. And even with the allure of a title shot - the cash prize means far more for the father-of-two.