Paul Daley vs. Yuya Shirai Signed for BAMMA 5

[Liquidrob]

http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/01/24/paul-daley-vs-yuya-shirai-signed-for-bamma-5/

Paul Daley's next fight will not be under the Strikeforce banner after all.

"Semtex" has agreed to fight Yuya Shirai at BAMMA 5 on February 26 at the Manchester Evening News Arena, MMA Fighting has confirmed with Daley's publicist Zara Shirwan and the organization. The fight, which will mark Daley's first in the UK in close to two years, will be for the vacant BAMMA welterweight title.

Fighters Only first reported the possibility of the fight last week.

Daley (26-9-2) made his Strikeforce debut in December, knocking out Scott Smith in the first round. Since his release from the UFC in May, the British slugger has won his last three fights in a row. Strikeforce has confirmed that they have signed off on Daley's BAMMA fight as well. Win or lose, he is expected to return to Strikeforce after the fight against Shirai.

Shirai (20-8) has won his last five fights in a row. He is the current DEEP welterweight champion, although that title won't be on the line in this fight.

BAMMA 5 is expected to be the first of five events in 2011 for the United Kingdom-based organization.

[SHOGUN]

It's nice to see Shirai back in action, but I don't think he has enough to really threaten Daley. Then again, Jorge Masvidal took him down regularly.

[Warner2BruceTD]

This is a really interesting under the radar fight.

Is there any way to see this?

[Steel Mamba]

wtf?

[Liquidrob]

wtf?

You don't like seeing fighters fight and make money?

[EmpireWF]

If he loses, who will Diaz defend the belt against in the summer?

[Kuzzy Powers]

Daley is not going to lose, so dont worry too much about that.

[SHOGUN]

If he loses, who will Diaz defend the belt against in the summer?

They could always go the Japan route and just ignore it since it didn't happen under their banner.

[CrimsonGhost56]

Coker: Daley’s Strikeforce Title Shot Hinges on UK Bout

British slugger Paul Daley is currently situated near the very top of the Strikeforce welterweight ladder. His brutal December knockout of Scott Smith made him the unofficial No. 1 contender at 170 pounds and put him in line for a crack at the winner of Saturday’s Nick Diaz-Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos title match.

However, according to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker, that could change next month, even without “Semtex” setting foot inside the Strikeforce cage.

On Feb. 26, Daley is slated to meet Deep welterweight ace Yuya Shirai in Manchester, England, under the banner of the U.K.-based British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. The outcome of the bout, which is for the vacant BAMMA welterweight belt, will decide Daley’s position in the Strikeforce title hunt.

“If he loses, the deck’s gonna get reshuffled, and if he wins, then he’ll be the first in line to get the title shot,” Coker said during Monday’s media conference call to promote Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Cyborg.”

Daley inked a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce in September. His win against Smith came in the 27-year-old Englishman’s first official outing for the promotion; Daley previously defeated Duane Ludwig at a 2007 event co-promoted by Strikeforce and EliteXC.

A devastating striker and one of the top exports of Nottingham-based Team Rough House, Daley holds a career mark of 26-9-2, with 19 of those victories by way of knockout. He has notched notable wins over the likes of Martin Kampmann, Jorge Masvidal, Dustin Hazelett and John Alessio. His wins against Kampmann and Hazelett came during his brief run in the UFC, which ended last May when he threw a sucker punch at Josh Koscheck following a decision loss to the wrestler at UFC 113.

[calgaryballer]

I don't understand why promoters come out and say this stuff. There is no upside. If he loses, no one in America will have seen it, and he just ruined one of his most marketable Welterweights. If he wins, well, he beat someone in Britian, no one saw, and he was going to get a title shot anyway

[EmpireWF]

I don't understand why promoters come out and say this stuff. There is no upside. If he loses, no one in America will have seen it, and he just ruined one of his most marketable Welterweights. If he wins, well, he beat someone in Britian, no one saw, and he was going to get a title shot anyway

Strikeforce can't market Daley (or anyone else for that matter) so you're probably right, it doesn't matter one way or the other.

When Brett Rogers gets a title shot coming off a loss, it serves no purpose to come out and say if Daley loses this low exposure international fight, he's screwed.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Unreal that Coker would take this stance, considering hardly anyone will know the fight even happened, and he has given title shots to guys coming off of loses anyway. Let's see if Coker stays consistant from this point forward. If so, then he gets a pass.

[Liquidrob]

James McSweeney vs. Ricco Rodriguez added to the card

[Warner2BruceTD]

Ricco has won ten straight. He'd be a good name guy for Coker to bring in to feed to a young heavyweight (Cormier). Somebody with good takedowns who won't stand there and get jabbed to death like Bigfoot did when Ricco nearly beat him a few years ago.

[Steel Mamba]

You don't like seeing fighters fight and make money?

:obama:

I like seeing SF fighters fight in SF, or at least in a meaningful match. But now that I know Daley declined a fight with Diaz and requested a tuneup it makes slightly more sense.