UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Paul Daley is fighting on Friday and that’s all he knows as far as his future in MMA is concerned.
The former Bellator title challenger takes on Jason Jackson in a 175-pound catchweight in the co-main event of Bellator 260 – the same card where the welterweight title will be disputed, as Douglas Lima defends his belt against unbeaten contender Yaroslav Amosov.
Daley (43–17–2 MMA, 9-4 BMMA) enters the bout with Jackson (14-4 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) having fought in mid-April when he stopped Sabah Homasi. It’s a quick turnaround and perhaps a surprising one as Daly had hinted at potential retirement after the bout with Homasi.
“Yeah, a quick turnaround, I’m more than happy,” Daley told MMA Junkie. “I had asked for July August and they got me in before then. I only had a week off, so I was good to go almost immediately.
“Had they not put me in so soon, who knows what would’ve happened. The fact that they kept me busy is probably a tactical thing to keep my mind off retirement, keep squeezing me for the market value – in a nice way. But I like it, I enjoy that people want to see me fight. I look forward to putting on a show for the people on Friday.”
Jackson is on a four-fight winning streak and considered one of the top contenders at welterweight. He has wins over Neiman Gracie, Jordan Mein, and former UFC champion Benson Henderson.
A win could put Daley in a favorable position for a potential title shot, but even then there’s no guarantee the Englishman will continue fighting past Friday.
“It depends,” Daley said. “Again, I don’t want to say anything, so we’ll just see how it goes. I will beat Jason on Friday and we’ll see what Bellator offers me. It has to be an attractive offer, but we’ll leave that up to them.”
Paul Daley still uncertain about future in MMA past Bellator 260: ‘We’ll just see how it goes’
