Again, in a word, wrestling:
In an earlier interview with The Fight Network, Diabate revealed his intentions to improve his takedown defense and wrestling skills before competing in the U.S. These two areas are at that the core of the Team Quest camp. Home to two-time Greco-Roman wrestling Olympian and PRIDE middleweight champion Dan Henderson, the burgeoning camp should serve as a beneficial second home for the Frenchman.
"In the past I haven't had to worry about top level wrestlers trying to take me down," says Diabate. "But now [with upcoming fights in American promotions], things will change."
Diabate is one among many who are awakening to the importance of having a strong wrestling game when competing in North America. The Canadians and Americans have cultivated strong programs throughout their schools and communities for decades and have the accolades at the international level to prove it. Now that globalization of the sport is bringing talent to our shores from all over the world, it has become more important than ever to incorporate wrestling when fighting here. That also means more than learning wrestling techniques. It also means a stronger emphasis on weight cutting, aggressive attacks, and maximizing the use of size and strength. Including more wrestling into one's game isn't going to completely alter their style, but it will substantively adjust it. Either their opponent forces them to or they do it on their own to use the new skills. Believe it.