Josh Diekmann (born October 9, 1976) is a retired American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. A professional competitor from 2005 until 2016, Diekmann fought in

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

, the WEC, and

CES MMA CES MMA (Classic Entertainment & Sports) is a mixed martial arts promotional firm based out of Providence, Rhode Island founded by boxing promoter Jimmy Burchfield Sr. It promoted the first sanctioned professional mixed martial event in the stat ...

. Known for being an exciting heavyweight, only one bout during his career ended in a judges' decision.

Background

Born and raised in

Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a town on the southwestern shoreline of Washington County, Rhode Island, first settled by English colonists in 1661 and incorporated as a municipality in 1669. It is a beachfront community on the south shore of the state with a popula ...

, Diekmann, who is of Italian descent, graduated from

Westerly High School Westerly High School is a public high school located in Westerly, Rhode Island, United States. The school is part of Westerly Public Schools. History Various incarnations of a high school have been serving students in Westerly since shortly af ...

in 1995. Diekmann began training in 2002 at the age of 26 at Whaling City Boxing in

Waterford, Connecticut Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,571 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) and had a population of 3,074 ...

, which is owned by Kent Ward, father of current

Bellator Bellator, warrior in Latin, may refer to: * Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States * Bishop Bellator of Archaeological site of Sbeitla, Sufetula (5th century) Taxonomy * Bellator (fish), ''Bellator'' (fish), a fis ...

Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify the ...

Brennan Ward Brennan Ward (born June 28, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2008, Ward formerly competed for CES MMA and was the Bellator Season Nine Middleweight Tourna ...

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Diekmann had one amateur fight against future

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

competitor Sean Gannon, a

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

police officer best known for defeating Kimbo Slice in non-sanctioned bout. Diekmann lost via TKO in the first round. Diekmann later turned professional in 2005, he won his first six bouts by stoppage before losing to

Justin Eilers Justin Mark Eilers (June 28, 1978 – December 25, 2008)Eilers Shot Dead
– Sherdog.com ...

via TKO at

WEC 24 ''WEC 24: Full Force'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 12, 2006. ''WEC 24s main event was a championship fight for the WEC Lightweight Title between champion Hermes Franca and challenger Nate Diaz. Results Miscelleane ...

. Diekmann would then go 6–2 in his next eight bouts.

CES MMA

Diekmann faced Josh Hendricks on February 3, 2012 at CES MMA: Extreme Measures. Diekmann would lose via submission in the first round. The following October, Diekmann was defeated by Tyler King via unanimous decision at CES MMA: Real Pain. Diekmann got his first win for the promotion when he defeated Chris Guillen via first-round TKO at CES MMA: November to Remember. Diekmann was scheduled to face Keith Bell at CES MMA 23 on April 25, 2014. The bout was cancelled for unknown reasons.

Bellator MMA

Diekmann signed a six-fight contract with

and made his Bellator debut on September 7, 2013 at

Bellator 98 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight cha ...

, defeating

Parker Porter Parker Frederick Porter (born April 22, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Porter played baseball, lacrosse and football in his youth. After high sc ...

via TKO in the first round. Diekmann was expected to face Chris Birchler at

Bellator 110 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight, ...

on February 28, 2014. However, the fight was cancelled for unknown reasons. Diekmann was then expected to face Chad Herrick on the same card, however, this bout also did not happen due to unknown reasons. Instead, Diekmann faced Manny Lara and the fight ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke in round one. Diekmann faced

Mike Wessel Michael Wade Wessel (born December 2, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist who last competed in 2016. A professional competitor since 2007, Wessel formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator, and was a contestant on ...

Bellator 123 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweigh ...

on September 5, 2014. Diekmann won the fight via knockout in the first round. Diekmann faced

Raphael Butler Raphael Butler (born January 4, 1984) is an American retired Heavyweight boxer and mixed martial artist. A professional boxing competitor from 2004 until 2011, he fought fighters the likes of David Price, Malik Scott, Eddie Chambers, and Chris A ...

on February 27, 2015 at

Bellator 134 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company. ...

. He lost the fight by submission in the first round.

Personal life

Diekmann, who is married and has children, also currently works as a

mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

. Diekmann lives with his family in

Groton, Connecticut Groton is a town in New London County, Connecticut located on the Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United States Navy. The Naval Submarine Base New London is ...

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 15–8 (1) , Tyler King , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 163 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:39 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–7 (1) , Ashley Gooch , Submission (rear-naked choke) , CES 32: de Freitas vs. Curtis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:30 ,

Lincoln, Rhode Island Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,529 at the 2020 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence. Lincoln is part of the Providence metropolitan statistical are ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 15–6 (1) ,

, Submission (standing guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:04 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–5 (1) ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

, United States , , - , NC , align=center, 14–5 (1) , Manny Lara , NC (accidental eye poke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:18 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–5 , Chris Guillen , TKO (punches) , CES MMA: November to Remember , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:15 ,

Ledyard, Connecticut Ledyard is a New England town, Town in New London County, Connecticut, New London County, Connecticut, United States, located along the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. The town is named after Colonel William Ledyard, a American Revolutio ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–5 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:12 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–5 , Tyler King , Decision (unanimous) , CES MMA: Real Pain , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–4 , Josh Hendricks , Submission (arm-triangle choke) , CES MMA: Extreme Measures , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:21 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–3 , Randy Smith , TKO (punches) , CFX 13: Rumble in the Jungle 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:12 ,

Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...

, United States , Won the vacant CFX Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 , Bobby Favors , KO (punches) , CFX 8: Rumble in the Jungle 3 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:42 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

Christian Morecraft Christian Morecraft (born September 8, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist, who fought in the UFC in the heavyweight division. Background Morecraft is from Washington, D.C., and went to an MMA school before turning pro in 2008. He also work ...

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , CFX 6: Rumble in the Jungle 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 , David Woodby , TKO (punches) , USFL: War in the Woods 4 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:01 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 , Chris Guillen , Submission (rear-naked choke) , IFO: Kimmons vs. Yunker , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:40 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 , Pat Schultz , KO (punches) , FFP: Untamed 14 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:45 ,

, United States , Won the vacant FFP Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 , Daron Adams , TKO (punches) , WFL 15: Winter Brawl 2007 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:54 ,

Revere, Massachusetts Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately from Downtown Crossing, downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after the American Revolutionary War Patriot (American Re ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Shane McClure , Submission (armbar) , CZ 19: Above and Beyond , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:08 ,

, United States , Defended the CZ Heavyweight Championship. , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 ,

Justin Eilers Justin Mark Eilers (June 28, 1978 – December 25, 2008)Eilers Shot Dead
– Sherdog.com ...

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:29 ,

Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Chris Herring , TKO (submission to punches) , CZ 13: Battle Cry , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

, United States , Won the vacant CZ Heavyweight Championship. , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Kevin Jordan , TKO (injury) , FFP: Untamed 3 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:10 ,

Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population is 105,643 as of the 2020 United States Census. Along with Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Dana Blouin , KO (punch) , WFL 5: Winter Brawl 2006 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, N/A ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , David Woodby , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Mass Destruction 21 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:35 ,

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Richard Wilson , Submission (armbar) , CZ 11: Blood Brothers , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:33 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Joe Gomes , TKO (punches) , WFL 1: Winter Brawl 2005 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:24 ,

, United States ,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diekmann, Josh Living people 1976 births American male mixed martial artists Heavyweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing People from Westerly, Rhode Island Mixed martial artists from Rhode Island People from Groton, Connecticut