Paul Daley Signs with Bellator

STUDIO MMA, RIVERSIDE, CA – After being granted his release from Strikeforce, the 29-year-old Paul Daley [29-10-2 MMA] didn’t waste any time finding a new promotion to call home.  Bellator announced Friday the signing of Daley, adding to their growing welterweight roster.

“Semtex” makes his promotional debut on July 20 at Bellator 72 in Tampa, Florida.

I’ve been a ‘Semtex’ fan for years,” Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney said in a statement. “He’s an incredibly explosive fighter who is magic to watch inside the cage. So, when the opportunity presented itself to join forces with Paul, it was a simple decision to make. Paul’s one of those fighters I’ve always intentionally stayed home to watch and now I can watch him cageside at Bellator.”

The UFC and Strikeforce vet Daley holds notable victories over Martin Kampmann, Jorge Masvidal, Scott Smith and Duane Ludwig.  Recently, losing a close split decision to Kazuo Misaki in March.  Prior to the loss, Daley had back-to-back wins over Jardan Radev and Luigi Fioravanti.

I’ve been a fan of Bellator for a long while,” Daley said in a statement. “When this chance came up, I was absolutely ready to make a long-term commitment to Bellator. I have my sights set on winning the tournament and winning that Bellator title.”

According to Daley, fighting more frequently wasn’t the only reason he chose Bellator but for a chance to compete against the best in the world.

The organization has really been developing and signing a lot of the best fighters in the world, and it’s another reason why I signed with Bellator,” Daley said. “The tournament format is something that really stood out to me, and it’s a chance to face some of the best fighters in the sport. There isn’t anyone sitting at the top of the mountain top making decisions on who fights who, the fighters get to decide who is going to be the next champion, and that’s how it should be. Bellator does it right, and that’s why I’m here.”

(Photo via Bellator.com)