LONDON – Scott Coker wonders if Bellator 281 really was the final time we’ll see Paul Daley compete.
Heading into this past Friday’s Bellator 281 event at OVO Arena Wembley, Daley (44-18-2 MMA, 9-6 BMMA) reiterated that his fight with Wendell Giacomo would be the last of his career.
Daley had to battle some early adversity but wound up knocking out Giacomo in what was an incredibly emotional moment for the British MMA veteran. Although Daley brought his mother into the cage to celebrate, Coker said that following the fight, he was already contacting his team.
“Let’s see what happens here,” Coker told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at Bellator 281. “I was expecting him to leave his gloves in the cage. I didn’t see it. My matchmaker, some of our fight team are saying he’s already texting us, trying to negotiate some deals. So we’ll see what happens.”
During Bellator 281 media day, Daley revealed to MMA Junkie that he was given a lucrative offer to box Dan Hardy but turned it down due to their prior friendship. Whether or not Bellator 281 is the final time we’ll see Daley fight, Coker has enjoyed working with Daley over the years, which dates back to Strikeforce.
“When I think about Paul, it’s such a special relationship for me,” Coker said. There’s good times; there’s bad times. He’s a fighter, I’m a promoter, we’re sometimes at odds, but I really feel like in the history of martial arts fighting, MMA, he has delivered over and over and over, and I have so much respect for him.
“I went into the locker room after, and I said, ‘It’s been such a pleasure promoting you over all these years.’ To me, he had one of the greatest fights in the history of MMA. It might be, to me, my favorite fight of all time, and that’s him and Nick Diaz fighting in Strikeforce, my old company.”
Scott Coker isn’t so sure about Paul Daley actually being retired after Bellator 281
