Tyler Diamond talks about signing with PFL, staying motivated following a year off
Interview with Tyler Diamond above
Tyler Diamond is a new signing to the Professional Fighter League and is ready to show the old dogs he means business. Having the 2020 PFL season canceled due to COVID, Diamond has used his time away to work on his skills and starting April 23, is ready to dominate in the 2021 season. Prior to his first bout against Jo Sungbin, Diamond sat down with My MMA News to discuss the upcoming season, his training, and how he kept his motivation during a long layoff.
“It was easy because I was signed with PFL, you know,” Diamond said. ” It’s easy to stay motivated when you know what’s around the corner. The times when you don’t, that’s when it’s easy to lose that motivation. For me it was like, ok, I’m not fighting in 2020, that sucks, but the light at the end of the tunnel is that I am signed with them. I will fight with them eventually. So I focused on other things such as running my business and finding other income and revenue streams outside of fighting, so that’s what I did. It all worked out for the better.”
Diamond was a member of The Ultimate Fighter season 27 but never got the call to join the UFC roster after TUF ended. He explained his way of thinking when deciding to join PFL. Of course, the one million dollar prize at the end is enticing for any fighter, but it was more than just the money for Diamond.
“I feel like the UFC didn’t give me a fair shake,” Diamond explained. “I had one fight and it was a close loss. I thought that I won and they gave it to the other guy and then they just cut me. I was like wow, I feel like I got kind of shafted. I picked up two local fights and I was back on everyone’s radar in a sense. So rather than wait for the UFC to maybe call me, let’s be proactive, let’s reach out to PFL. I like the format, my biggest complaint about MMA is that it has been hard to schedule my life. I never knew when I was fighting, I maybe had an idea, but when opportunities arise you have to take them. Now with PFL, I know exactly when I’m going to fight way ahead of time, and I love that.”
Now that the 2021 PFL season is underway, Diamond has his pick of who will be making it to the final and the million-dollar fight.
“Everyone with a half of a brain knows that Lance (Plamer) is the frontrunner right now,” Diamond said. “I believe it will be Lance and I in the finals. That would be awesome, two friends fighting. We both get in there and get the fight and get paid. Be friends before, friends after. That’s what I’m manifesting in my head to happen.”
Diamond will first have to defeat Jo Sungbin in the first outing of the 2021 season on April 23 in Atlantic City, NJ.
