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Paul Daley has earned a reputation for being one of the most exciting fighters in MMA. He has entertained fans with many spectacular knockouts and has been involved in some of the sport’s most memorable bouts.
‘Semtex’ has fought in major promotions like the UFC and Bellator, and won titles in regional promotions like Cage Rage. He has also been successful competing in kickboxing bouts throughout his MMA career.
After competing for 19 years, ‘Semtex’ announced that he intends to retire after his next fight. He will be competing on the Bellator London event, which is scheduled to take place on May 13th. It’ll be a fitting end to his career as it he’ll be ending his career in front of his home crowd. This list will look at 5 opponents for Paul Daley for his final fight in Bellator.
#5. Daley vs. Oliver Enkamp
Oliver Enkamp would be a worthy final opponent for Paul Daley. From a stylistic standpoint, he would make for an exciting bout as he is primarily a striker.
‘Semtex’ has been frustrated in the past when fighting opponents that are wrestlers. It’s understandable as their path to victory is shooting for takedown and controlling him on the ground.
Enkamp's karate background wouldn't make him worried in the standup. Despite being a black belt in karate, the majority of his wins have come via submission. He has demonstrated his impressive grappling ability with his submission wins over Emmanuel Dawa and Walter Gahadza,
‘Semtex’ wouldn’t have to worry about competing against an opponent that avoids exchanges. It would be intriguing to see his power against Enkamp’s precise striking.
#4. Daley vs. Derek Anderson
Another possibility could be Bellator revisiting Daley vs. Derek Anderson for his final bout. The promotion had previously attempted to schedule it in the past, but had to be canceled on both occasions.
The two were originally set to compete at Bellator 163 and Bellator 247, however, Daley withdrew due to weight-cutting issues. With past weight-cutting issues nixing their plans, perhaps Bellator could book the fight as a 175lb catchweight. Another reason a bout would make sense is that they are both close in the welterweight rankings.
‘Semtex’ is currently the No.7-ranked welterweight, while Anderson is the No.6-ranked welterweight. They’re also coming off losses to top welterweight contenders. Jason Jackson picked up a unanimous decision win over ‘Semtex’ at Bellator 260. 'Barbaric' on the other hand, sustained a broken nose in his TKO loss to Michael ‘Venom’ Page at Bellator 258.
#3. Daley vs. Benson Henderson
Another possibility for Daley’s final fight is if Benson Henderson moves up to 170lbs for a retirement fight of his own.
The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion proved that he can still compete when he defeated Islam Mamedov at Bellator 271. That was the final bout on his Bellator contract, so perhaps the promotion could sign him to a one-fight deal.
‘Smooth’ might find a bout with ‘Semtex’ appealing as it would provide him with one final challenge in his career. A potential bout would also allow Henderson to retire against a big name in the sport rather than a rising contender.
Despite Henderson not having the best of outings in his recent welterweight bouts, it wouldn’t necessarily be a mismatch. They are both the same size, which hadn’t been the case when he fought Andrey Koreshkov and Jason Jackson.
#2. Daley vs. Raymond Daniels
Despite not having a large number of MMA fights, Raymond Daniels would definitely be an intriguing matchup for Paul Daley. ‘Semtex’ wouldn’t have to worry about getting into a wrestling match and could end his career against a striker.
‘The Real Deal’ isn’t any ordinary striker as he is regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers in the sport. His impeccable striking has produced some of the most creative knockouts in combat sports, especially after finding openings with devastating spin-kicks. He also hasn’t shied away from taking risks in the cage, which has been on full display during his Bellator tenure.
‘Semtex’ might be in a position where he’d have to showcase his grappling ability. ‘The Real Deal’ has been putting the work in to improve in all areas of MMA at Team Alpha Male. And so, it could be interesting to see who’d have the upper-hand should the fight get to the ground.
#1. Daley vs. Tyron Woodley II
Since Bellator London will be the sight of Daley’s final MMA fight, the promotion should consider signing free agent Tyron Woodley.
It would be a rematch of their 2011 encounter in Strikeforce, which saw ‘The Chosen One’ earn the unanimous decision win. He’s coming off back-to-back losses to Jake Paul in boxing. However, a rematch with ‘Semtex’ would still garner plenty of attention. He could be more motivated to return to form, especially considering his UFC tenure ended with a losing streak.
Woodley could see signing with Bellator as a fresh start and a move that rejuvenates his career. He has a great relationship with Scott Coker and is no stranger to Showtime. The network carried his most recent boxing match with Paul on pay-per-view, so familiarity may factor into his decision. The bout would be a welcome addition as it would add a big-fight feel to the event.
