Paul Daley Claims Bellator Released Him, But Promotion Disagrees

Veteran striker Paul “Semtex” Daley took to his official Facebook page today (Jan. 25, 2018) to announce that he not only has requested his release from Bellator, but that the promotion has granted him his release as well.

Last week, Daley voiced his displeasure after hearing Bellator President Scott Coker speak on Michael Page at the Bellator 192 press conference. Coker, however, then responded, saying he’ll work things out with “Semtex”:

“It’s really interesting, because when I think of Paul Daley, I think of one of the most entertaining fighters I’ve ever been around,” Coker told MMAjunkie after Bellator 192. “Some of the best fights in the history of (Strikeforce) were with Paul Daley. I love his fighting style – I’ve always loved him. When I came to Bellator, he was one of the first guys I reached out to.

“But Paul is very emotional, and Paul is Paul. I don’t take it personally. He’s saying what he’s saying. Hey, he’s the one who called out ‘MVP,’ right? He fought Rory (MacDonald), it didn’t work out. He comes after ‘MVP,’ he calls ‘MVP’ out, so I’m thinking, ‘All right – we’re going to do this fight.’ And then the next thing, he’s like, ‘I changed my mind.’ We’ll figure it out with Paul, but I think he’s just being emotional right now, and we’ll all figure it out.”

Regarding his supposed release, a Bellator executive also told MMAjunkie that Daley’s claims were untrue and that he remains under contract with the promotion.

Daley, a Bellator mainstay since 2015, has compiled a 5-2 record since returning to the promotion with his biggest victory coming this past September when he knocked out Lorenz Larkin.