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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
British welterweight Paul Daley has not stayed a free agent for long, as Bellator Fighting Championships announced on Friday that they have signed "Semtex" to their roster.
"I've been a Semtex fan for years," said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney in a statement announcing the signing. "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."
Daley is 6-4 in his last 10 fights, dating back to his final UFC appearance. He was infamously banned from the organization after sucker punching Josh Koscheck following a decision loss, and he would go on to appear in Strikeforce and several other promotions over the next couple of years. After requesting and being granted his release from Strikeforce, Daley's now ready to move on with Bellator.
"I've been a fan of Bellator for a long while," Daley said. "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."
"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. 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."
Daley will make his organizational debut on July 20 at Bellator 72 from The University of South Florida's Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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