Paul "Semtex" Daley.
Paul Daley is a welterweight fighter best known for his three-fight stint in the UFC, cut after a pair of wins over Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazelett and a loss to Josh Koscheck after which he assaulted Koscheck and was cut from the promotion and rightly so.
He recently signed a presumably one-fight deal with Impact Fighting Championships out of Australia and he fought Daniel Acacio, defeating him in the third round via verbal tapout due to elbows.
Daley was next announced to have signed with Shark Fights and he is set to fight on their September 11 card against an unannounced opponent, thought to perhaps be Chris Wilson but later revealed to be against former lightweight fighter Jorge Masvidal. Daley defeated Masvidal via extremely controversial unanimous decision (robbery).
After the fight, Daley had also signed a very substantial six-fight contract with Strikeforce and he was set to make his debut for the promotion sometime in the latter part of 2010, against Evangelista Santos. Instead, Daley competed in his first Strikeforce fight against hard-hitting former middleweight, the Comeback Kid Scott Smith. Daley knocked out Smith with a left hook from hell two minutes into the fight. Daley was next rumored to face former boxer and fellow contender KJ Noons. Instead, he was confirmed to be the number-one contender for the welterweight title, but he wanted to take a warmup fight in the meantime.
Daley next faced Yuya Shirai in the main event of BAMMA 5 in the UK. He defeated Shirai via brutal first-round knockout. He next faced Diaz for the Strikeforce welterweight title. Diaz defeated Daley via knockout with seconds remaining in the first round.
Daley was next set to face fellow contender Evangelista Santos. Unfortunately Santos was injured about a month before the event and he was forced to pull out. He was quickly replaced with undefeated contender Tyron Woodley. Woodley defeated Daley via a close unanimous decision.
Daley is next set to return to BAMMA to face newcomer Jordan Radev. Daley weighed in over the welterweight limit and a percentage of his purse was forfeited to Radev. Daley defeated Radev via a hard-fought decision in which Radev stole the hearts of the crowd and earned him the nickname of the "Bulgarian Zombie" from some posters on Sherdog.
A month after the Radev fight, Daley faced fellow UFC veteran Luigi Fioravanti outside of BAMMA. Daley defeated Fioravanti via dominant unanimous decision.
Daley next returned to Strikeforce to face Pride veteran Kazuo Misaki, losing via split decision.
Daley next signed with Bellator, making his debut against Rudy Bears TKOing Bears in the first round.
Daley was next set to fight in the promotion's season eight welterweight tournament against either War Machine or Ben Saunders. Unfortunately he was banned from competing in America after a charge of assault in a bar brawl fouled up his visa. He stated that he could still fight outside of America, possibly in the United Kingdom and stated his willingness to fight UFC veteran Marcus Davis there.
Instead Daley fought in late February 2013 in the U.K. against Patrick Vallee knocking Vallee unconscious with a flying knee near the end of the second round.
Daley next fought in Dubai against 9-10 OneFC veteran Rodrigo Ribeiro, knocking Ribeiro out in the fight's second round.
Daley next returned to Cage Warriors in the U.K. against the Pole Lukasz Chlewicki, defeating Chlewicki via a first round cut stoppage.
Daley then fought Russian prospect Alexander Yakovlev losing via a unanimous decision.
Daley next faced Romario Manoel da Silva defeating da Silva via an empathic highlight reel one punch knockout in the second round.
Daley then fought Marinho Moreira da Rocha winning via a second round body punch TKO.
Daley next finally returned to Bellator defeating Andre Santos by unanimous decision and then Dennis Olson via second round TKO. He then knocked out Andy Uhrich in the first round.
Daley was next set for a rematch with Josh Koscheck but instead fought former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima. Lima defeated Daley via a unanimous decision.
Daley was next linked to a fight with Melvin Guillard briefly but then called out UFC veteran Rory MacDonald.
Fights
- Paul Daley vs. Satoru Kitaoka
- Paul Daley vs. Duane Ludwig - The fight was the Strikeforce debut of Daley.
- Paul Daley vs. Mark Weir - The fight was for the vacant Cage Rage welterweight title. Daley never defended it.
- Paul Daley vs. Sam Morgan
- Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley - The fight was for the EliteXC welterweight championship with Jake Shields defending.
- Nick Thompson vs. Paul Daley
- Paul Daley vs. Martin Kampmann - The fight was the UFC debut of Daley.
- Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett
- Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley - The fight was both for the number one contendership in the UFC welterweight division but it was for the chance to coach the twelth season of TUF against Georges St. Pierre. Daley was cut after the fight for a highly illegal and unsportsmanlike sucker punch he landed after the fight ended to Josh Koscheck.
- Paul Daley vs. Daniel Acacio - The fight was the Impact FC debut of both men and it was Daley's first fight outside of the UFC.
- Paul Daley vs. Jorge Masvidal - The fight was the Shark Fights debut and only fight in the promotion for both men. The fight was a controversial unanimous decision victory for Daley.
- Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith - The fight was the Strikeforce return of Daley and the welterweight debut of Scott Smith. The fight was the first time that Smith had been knocked unconscious.
- Paul Daley vs. Yuya Shirai - The fight was the BAMMA debut of both men.
- Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley - The fight was for the Strikeforce welterweight title with Nick Diaz defending.
- Tyron Woodley vs. Paul Daley
- Paul Daley vs. Jordan Radev - The fight was the BAMMA debut of the "Bulgarian Zombie," Jordan Radev.
- Paul Daley vs. Luigi Fioravanti
- Paul Daley vs. Rudy Bears - The fight was the Bellator debut of Daley.
- Alexander Yakovlev vs. Paul Daley
- Paul Daley vs. Andre Santos
- Paul Daley vs. Dennis Olson
- Douglas Lima vs. Paul Daley