The fight card for UFC on ESPN+ 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark just landed an exciting lightweight addition.
MMA Junkie has learned from multiple people with knowledge of the booking that crowd-pleasers Lando Vannata and Marc Diakiese have signed on to square off at the event, which takes Sept. 28 at Royal Arena. Those people requested anonymity because UFC brass have yet to make an official announcement. MMA Newsome was the first to report the bout was in the works.
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Both men are looking to embark on a run of victories after enduring frustrating winless streaks. Brit Diakiese (13-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) snapped his three-fight losing streak with a hard-earned decision victory over Joe Duffy at UFC on ESPN+ 5 in London in March, while American Vannata (10-3-2 MMA, 2-3-2 UFC) ended a four-fight winless run (a span that included two defeats and two draws) with a first-round submission victory over Marcos Mariano at UFC 234 in February.
Now the pair are set to face off in Copenhagen in what, on paper, looks like a spectacular meeting of flashy strikers.
The Vannata-Diakiese matchup joins a growing card of bouts for the UFC’s debut event in Denmark, with rising middleweight contender Jack Hermansson (20-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) facing off against Jared Cannonier (12-4 MMA, 5-4 UFC) in the night’s main event.
The card also features the return of Icelandic fan-favorite Gunnar Nelson (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who takes on former title challenger Thiago Alves (23-14 MMA, 15-11 UFC), while rising Polish light heavyweight Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) takes on former interim title challenger Ovince Saint Preux (23-13 MMA, 11-8 UFC).
