5 Opponents for Paul Daley if he continues fighting
Paul Daley competed in his final MMA bout at Bellator 281. It was a special night as he closed out his career in front of his home country. It was a vintage performance as he defeated promotional newcomer Wendell Giacomo with an emphatic knockout.
Despite being promoted as his final bout, that didn’t seem to be the case after the fight. ‘Semtex’ didn’t remove his gloves, which many fighters have done to signify their retirement. Instead, he confirmed in his post-fight scrum that it’s possible he will compete again.
Obviously at age-39, money will be a factor in whether or not he accepts a bout. And so, it’ll have to be against a top welterweight. Bellator has depth in the welterweight division, so it shouldn’t be hard to find an opponent. This list will look at five fights if Paul Daley decides to continue fighting.
#5. Daley vs. former Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov
Paul Daley has one fight left in the tank – and it'll be against former champ Andrey Koreshkov at home. 👊
#BellatorLondon | bit.ly/DaleyKoreshkov https://t.co/RJVKylGqjn
Bellator could possibly entice Paul Daley to return is by offering him a bout with Andrey Koreshkov. The former Bellator welterweight champion was originally scheduled to be his final opponent, but was forced to withdraw from the event.
It would be an intriguing matchup and a more notable name to retire against. What excited fans about the originally scheduled bout was that it was Koreshkov who called him out. After defeating Chance Rencountre via TKO in 38-seconds, he called out ‘Semtex’ and expressed interest in being his final opponent.
‘Spartan’ vs. ‘Semtex’ would be a great matchup because both are primarily strikers and are no strangers to finishing fights. 13 out of the 25 wins have come via KO/TKO, while 35 out of ‘Semtex’s 43 wins have come via KO/TKO. Fans could be in for an entertaining slugfest and the bout could be used to help bolster an upcoming event. The bout could also easily serve as a headliner when Bellator returns to London.