This was not a bad performance by Diaconu, but a better performance by the smaller(168 coming to 175) Pascal who was taller and had the reach.
Diaconu could just not cut the ring off and reduce the distance between them as he should have. Pascal is a good fighter and a very exciting one in fact.
IT should tell you something about Frochs punches too. I mean Froch was keeping Pascal honest with every shot and sucking the life out of him while he was at it. Diaconu obviously hurt pascal more then Froch ever did but that was just because Pascal got to carried away going for the knockout. It was clear that pretty much nothing else Diaconu hit him with got his respect. Which is saying something considering Diaconu is a power puncher that normally struggles to make 175 and Froch is an easy 168.
A fighter who keeps throwing and has a good right hand isn't exactly Dawson's cup of tea either because Chad still gets hit with them and takes too many breaks in his fights. Dawson vs Diaconu is still a fight I'd want to see, but not before Dawson-Pascal now. :deal
Diaconu is a dwarf compared to Dawson, and doesn't have the workrate needed to upset him. Dawson combos him all night long and Diaconu doesn't touch him.