British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley (27-9-2) will look to test the chin of Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz this Saturday in the headliner of the Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley event in San Diego.
Daley feels that he is such a threat to Diaz’ title that the Team Caesar Gracie fighter will avoid standing with him and that he’ll look for the takedown as soon as he can.
Daley was offered the fight after a win over DEEP champion Yuya Shirai on February 26 at a BAMMA 5 event in England. Despite having just just over a month to prepare for the title match, “Semtex” still feels “Diaz is in a world of trouble” when the two meet on April 9.
“I don’t think Nick is going to come forward against me. He has done it in previous fights, but I doubt he’ll come straight on against me. He’s been in with some heavy hitters but I don’t think he’s been in with anyone who hits as hard as me and is at that stage where he’s smashing people up … I feel I’m in that kind of mode that if I hit anybody, they’re going to sleep. If Nick Diaz wants to try that out, I’d love to give him the opportunity to do it…”
“I do anticipate a difficult fight, but I truly believe as good as people say Nick’s chin is, if i hit him, he’s going to sleep. One other thing for him to think about: there’s elbows in Strikeforce now. He cuts easily, and my elbows are from hell. But he’s not going to come straight on against me. My jab is like most people’s right hand. I could stop him with a cut. I could knee the f— out of him, I could kick him. I could ground-and-pound him. Nick Diaz is in a world of trouble. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to punch, kick and elbow him until the referee pulls me off of him, and that’s exactly how it’s going to happen.”
HT: MMAFighting.com