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By: C.J. Tuttle, MMATorch Contributor
Does anyone remember Paul "Semtex" Daley? If you do, have any idea where he fights nowadays or whether he's even active? Truth is the thirty year old is alive and well, continues to improve his career win/loss mark 32-12 and is currently signed with Bellator. Yes, Bellator.
The UFC and Dana White hope you forgot about him (although they still have his profile on their site) and the promise that he has shown from the very beginning. They want you to forget that of Daley's thirty-two wins, 72% are by way of knockout. They want you to look past the fact that he beat up their welterweight contender Martin Kampmann.
All they want you to think about when you hear the name Paul Daley is the man is a ticking time bomb, a semtex grenade (no pun intended) that threw an ill-advised punch at a defenseless Josh Koscheck following a snoozer of a match that Daley lost via decision. Following the mishap, he was immediately released by the UFC and instead of going on to face welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, he found himself looking for a new promotion to throw blows in. Since then Daley has put together a 9-3 streak, fighting for BAMMA, Strikeforce, and now Bellator.
This past weekend Paul Daley fought in Dubai, a product of visa issues stemming from a bar fight that occurred in his homeland of England. He won decisively via TKO in the second round and looked to be in great shape. This in itself is a problem when it comes to Daley, who has had about as much trouble making weight as Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
Going forward the Brit looks to stay busy until he can return to the United States and wreak havoc on the division Ben Askren currently presides over. He claims his next court date is in June and the visa issues should be resolved in time to make his Bellator return in September.
The choice by Bellator to allow Daley to fight out of the country is a good one, and against the grain when it comes to the company [See: Eddie Alvarez]. Regardless who he fights and what continent the fight is held, the name Paul Daley is going to draw eyeballs. This can lead into a nice pre-brewed feud with the guy who likes to call himself War Machine.
Daley says he has not given up hope of facing War Machine – who is booked to make his Bellator debut against Blas Avena on June 19 – and is confident he can beat the colorful Ultimate Fighter veteran. I agree, and I think he will make quick work of the character, but I won't argue that it's a great first match back on the somewhat grand stage of Bellator.
The full scale plan seems laid to have Daley win a couple feature fights for Bellator, starting with the hyped War Machine match-up, before entering the next welterweight tournament. Daley does not know exactly what the timeline would be, but believes that, if he wins, he has what it takes to dethrone reigning 170-pound champ Askren.
Daley is a fan of the tournament format and likes the aspect of "earning" his title shot. Something he doesn't feel is done enough in MMA's current landscape. With the reputation Daley has created for himself, he could benefit from the process the tournament would provide him.
Many people surrounding the sport feel as if the early thirties are a golden age for a fighter. Combine this with unparalleled striking, big fight experience against top welterweights, and above all else, results, and Paul Daley is a prime candidate to make a run at the rankings. Which I am quite confident he will.
If all falls into place, Bellator will have another big name contender on their roster. And once GSP runs through his potential opponents, the UFC will be forced to answer questions regarding the status of a potential return of "Semtex" as well.
Comments? Rants? c.j.tuttle@gmail.com Twitter: @kidceej
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_16861.shtml
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