After publicly requesting a top ranked and established opponent worthy of his fight calibre it would seem Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley’s recent efforts have paid off. ‘Semtex’ is to welcome to the cage Bellator’s newest signing, Jon Fitch. The clash will happen when the promotion pitches up its tent in San Jose on May 12 for Bellator 199.
Daley spoke to me after the news of his latest match broke. He sounded content and focused on the task now at hand. In a previous interview Daley had asserted that he hoped to sign his next two fights at the same time. Unfortunately, whilst he was keen to sign the Jon Fitch fight and the Michael Venom Page fight only one contract arrived.
“It’s a real shame I didn’t get both contracts ‘at the same damn time’ but I feel like the MVP fight will happen this year,” Daley said. “The social media response has been crazy, so we both gotta be paid right, Bellator gotta understand this is a big fight. A big big fight.”
“Fitch is a tough wrestler, but an old tough wrestler, he’s no Rory MacDonald. This fight is away from home, I’ve always performed better away from home, in the USA. I’m more relaxed. In recent fights in the UK the occasion has got the better of me, but I feel I know how to deal with that now. But still I prefer to fight in the US.”
After a pretty spirited social media campaign which drew the attention of several MMA Media outlets Daley is keen to confirm the reason behind his latest match up is directly attributed to the traction his recent criticism of Bellator gained. Daley said, “As far as Fitch fight is concerned I feel that the pressure applied worked, Bellator just forgot, or someone In the ranks forgot, the fans love Semtex. Die hard types man, that’s because I always bring it, always have, and I tell it straight.”
Michael Venom Page is not the only athlete on the Bellator roster hoping to get into the cage with ‘Semtex’. Lorenz Larkin is ready to prove that the KO meted out to him by Daley is a one off occurrence and the next time the two of them meet things will be different. Whilst Daley is keen on the MVP match up he is also happy to oblige Larkin as he offers, “Larkin will get his fight if Bellator allow, or if I’ve got fights left with them.”
Daley was keen to remind his captive Facebook audience recently that he has a limited time left in the sport. with the Bellator woes now behind him ‘Semtex’ is now somewhat reserved in confirming where his last fight will take place. “I think we’ll see how emphatically I win these last fights and then we’ll go from there as to where my MMA career will end.”