Daley seeking redemption Down Under

Just a few months ago Paul Daley’s career looked to be heading in the right direction. The Nottingham born fighter was widely regarded as one of the top welterweights in mixed martial arts and was rewarded with a UFC contract. One moment of madness changed everything.

Fighting Josh Koscheck in a contest that would determine the next challenger for the UFC welterweight title, Daley inexplicably lost control and threw a punch after the final bell. UFC president Dana White then declared that the British fighter would never set foot in the Ultimate Fighting Championships again.

Having been on the verge of a superfight with George St. Pierre, Daley has now had to reconsider his options and look outside of the States. The comeback starts in Australia where the 27-year-old will fight on the undercard of an IFC bill that includes a contest between Ken Shamrock and Pedro Rizzo.

Daley is hopeful that he can put the past behind him and rebuild his impressive career. “It was a thoughtless act but it is not something that I want to dwell on. I love being out in Australia and being part of the IFC as the fans are really into it. I am getting recognised loads and I am really looking forward to the fight.”

The Impact Fighting Championships may be a relatively new organization, in fact it was founded in July 2010, but Daley sees it as the perfect opportunity to get his career back on track.

The Team Rough House member will not have an easy fight on his hands in Sydney as he takes on Brazilian Jui-Jitsu expert Daniel Acacio. However, Daley has lost none of the confidence that saw him rise to one of the most feared fighters in mixed martial arts.

“I am always confident and this fight is no exception. I am going to win by KO. He may be a tough guy but I know that I have the edge. I have been working hard so I just want to keep fighting and stay busy.”

There are still plenty of MMA fans that want to see Daley fight and with the sport growing and becoming more popular around the world it seems there will be plenty of opportunities to showcase his talent.

Training in Nottingham with Team Rough House has also meant that Daley is part of one of the most talked about mixed martial art camps around. Working with the likes of Ross Pearson and Dan Hardy, both UFC fighters, means the man known as ‘Semtex’ is always improving.

“There are some fantastic fighters coming out of the UK and I am lucky to call a lot of them friends. We work well together and are always developing our styles and bringing in new coaches.

“I continually work on all parts of my game but there is so much to cover that it can be hard to improve as quick as you would like,” describes Daley. “I am just so glad that fighters are starting to get the recognition they deserve as it is a hard sport that requires more dedication than most.”

Having missed out on the fight with George St. Pierre you could have forgiven Daley for losing his focus and desire. However, he stresses that this is not the case. “I would have loved to have had the time to train and fight GSP but these things happen. All I can say is that now I am out of UFC I have the drive and ambition back.”

If Daley can keep his focus then the rest of the 170lb division had better beware.