Paul Daley is one of the most experienced and well-loved figures in the mixed martial arts scene. This was evidenced by his mutual admiration of his Bellator 170 opposition Brennan Ward's fighting style and personality. Daley only had nice things to say about Ward, but during press conferences stated that he still plans to win via one of his signature knockouts.
"For the same reason I like him is the same reason we are going to put on a fantastic fight. We are both characters who like to get the finish," Daley told MMA Junkie about his upcoming opposition. He added that him and Ward are unable to put on a boring fight due to their come-forward styles of fighting.
Daley looked to bounce back from his recent loss against Douglas Lima, which cost him a number one contender spot for the Bellator welterweight crown back in July 2016. He was supposed to fight Derek Anderson last November, but he had to withdraw from the fight due to an illness sustained from a bad weight cut. After half a year out of competition, Daley will be looking to once again cement his place as a top dog in Bellator's 170-pound rankings.
Tensions were high coming into the Bellator 170 co-main event featuring Daley and Ward, as fans were expecting a slugfest. Both fighters came out of their respective corners with intentions of knocking their opponent out, but it was Daley who got the better of Ward on the night. Daley landed an inch-perfect flying knee to Ward's temple, which knocked him out cold in the first round.
Fight fans were visibly thrilled with what had just transpired, but Daley stated that it was hard for him to bask in the win because he considered Ward a close friend. Things became even more difficult for him when he saw Ward's girlfriend crying after he was knocked out so badly that he had to be stretchered off the ring to receive medical care, according to BJPenn.com.
With this win, Daley has improved his record to 39-14-2. He now set his sights back on Douglas Lima, who is the current Bellator welterweight titleholder.
Watch some of Daley's MMA highlights in the video below: