Daley aims for another big victory
Paul Daley finally got his big break in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he stepped in at UFC 103 for an injured Mike Swick to face Martin Kampmann.
Daley was unknown to many UFC fans, despite an impressive record in 30 professional fights against some of the bigger names outside of the organization.
The bout between Swick and Kampmann was supposed to determine the No. 1 contender in the welterweight division. Daley, a 26-year-old native of Nottingham, England, took full advantage of his UFC debut by stopping Kampmann 2:31 into the Sept. 19 fight.
Now, he’ll try to prove that performance wasn’t a fluke when he takes on Dustin Hazelett in UFC 108 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden.
“People don’t realize me and Kampmann had been on the same path for a long time. A lot of people don’t realize that I’ve been fighting MMA for eight years. I’ve been around the block a thousand times,” Daley said. “Just because he had eight (UFC) fights … didn’t make him better than me, because I’ve been fighting elsewhere.
“I think when I came in and finished him with such ease, it just proved that.”
It’s that type of comment that has tagged Daley as being cocky, which he said isn’t completely inaccurate.
“It’s just the way I am. I’m confident in everything I do,” he said. “Nothing’s ever been given to me. I’ve had to work for everything I’ve ever got. I think that just transfers into my personality. Without confidence, a person’s nothing. You have to have confidence to achieve anything, unless you win the lottery or something.”
His confidence in the cage comes mostly from his immense striking ability. Daley has 17 knockouts among his 22 victories as a professional, and his explosive stand-up game earned him the nickname “Semtex” before he became a pro.
“Semtex is an explosive that Special Forces use to bring down buildings and bridges and just generally (mess things) up,” Daley said. “One of my buddies was sitting at work just talking about my first few (amateur) fights. I was stopping people with body shots in no head-shot competitions and leg kicking guys like crazy. He said, ‘You’re like a bomb.’ So, we just went to the encyclopedia and we found Semtex, and it’s grown with me.”
Hazelett, a submission specialist with one of the best ground games in the welterweight division, knows it’s not in his best interest to stand and trade shots with Daley.
“I’m not by any means going to try to make this a brawl. I’m not the strongest guy. I’m not the fastest guy. I got where I am through hard work and intelligence,” he said. “I always try to go with the path of least resistance, which almost every fight for me has been getting to the ground. I don’t think this is going to be any different.
“I don’t think I’m going to spoil any strategy by saying taking this to the ground is going to be my easiest path to victory.”
Daley concedes that fact, but said he is prepared in case his plan of keeping the fight standing hits a snag.
“I don’t think I’m a better grappler than Dustin. I’m not going to lie to you. His fight record proves it. He’s a far superior grappler than me. That’s not what I specialize in,” Daley said. “But if plan A does fail, which I highly doubt it will — that’s me knocking him out and keeping the fight standing — there is a plan B.”
Daley said he is happy to have finally reached the highest level in his sport, but he is more concerned with what goes on once the bell rings.
“I’m happy with all the attention I’m receiving being in the UFC, but a fight’s a fight for me,” he said. “It’s nice to be on TV. It’s nice for people to know your name, but I’m just happy to be in a fight.”
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509.
