Paul Daley appears to have found a home in the Bellator MMA organization. He has excelled against fellow strikers throughout his career, but one can only wonder if that trend will continue against Michael Page. Daley will face Page in a showdown between two of Britain’s most dynamic standup fighters, as they collide in the Bellator welterweight grand prix quarterfinals at Bellator 217 on Feb. 16.
8: Years old when he started training in karate. Later, he transitioned to muay Thai. Having developed his standup skills early, it is easy to see why Daley remains as one of the most feared strikers in the welterweight division. At 18, he started his formal MMA training, and it did not take long before he entered his first competition.
24: Professional kickboxing fights under his belt. Daley has tallied 21 victories, 14 of which have come by knockout or technical knockout. Apart from his home country of England, he has also fought in Thailand, Slovenia, Italy, Ireland and the United States.
3: Rounds needed to best Ross Mason and capture the Cage Rage British welterweight championship. Daley successfully defended the belt twice before facing Mark Weir in a unification bout. “Semtex” knocked out Weir -- then the Cage Rage world welterweight champion -- in the second round.
3: Appearances in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Daley made an immediate impact, as he knocked out Martin Kampmann and Dustin Hazelett in devastating fashion. However, after losing to Josh Koscheck in his third start inside the Octagon, he unleashed a sucker punch after the bell, resulting in his release.
1: “Knockout of the Night” award won in the UFC. While his stint with the promotion was short-lived, Daley managed to make his mark thanks to his heavy hands. His knockout of Hazelett at UFC 108 resulted in the post-fight bonus.
5: Appearances in Strikeforce, where Daley went 2-3. He scored consecutive victories over Duane Ludwig and Scott Smith before challenging Nick Diaz for the promotion’s welterweight title. Diaz stopped Daley with three seconds left in the first round in one of the greatest one-round fights in MMA history. It was followed by decision defeats to Tyron Woodley and Kazuo Misaki.
10: Appearances in Bellator, one of them coming as a professional kickboxer. Daley has compiled a 6-3 record in MMA with the promotion and owns notable victories over Lorenz Larkin and Brennan Ward. His three losses have come to Douglas Lima, Rory MacDonald and Jon Fitch.
35: Years of age. Daley was born to Caribbean parents on Feb. 21, 1983 in Nottingham, England.