Hard-hitting English welterweight Paul Daley has re-upped with Bellator MMA, clearing the way for his participation in the promotion’s Welterweight Grand Prix and a long-running grudge match against Michael Page.
Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed Daley’s new deal to ESPN on Wednesday. The two sides have occasionally been at odds during Daley’s three-year tenure with the promotion, but they came to an agreement on extended terms this week.
Daley (40-16-2) immediately joins Bellator’s plans for its 170-pound tournament. Officials revealed nine athletes of the 10-man field on Tuesday, of which Daley was noticeably absent. His participation is now confirmed, however.
“We got the deal done — we get the big fights done!” Coker told ESPN, via text message. “Paul is in the tournament.”
Bellator’s Welterweight Grand Prix will kick off with a matchup between Douglas Lima and Andrey Koreshkov on Sept. 29 in San Jose, California. Other matchups have not yet been announced, but the promotion will certainly take a strong look at pairing Daley with countryman Page.
Page (13-0) and Daley have gone back and forth on social media regarding a fight for years, and were involved in an altercation in the stands at a Bellator event last year. Page is 8-0 in Bellator, with six finishes.
Daley’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, expressed his excitement regarding the new deal in a social media post.
“Shout out to [Bellator executive Mike Kogan] and Scott Coker for being true professionals,” Abdelaziz wrote on Twitter. “No egos. I’m so blown away by the way they handle business. On the second hand — someone’s getting knocked the f— out.”