“He’s done…I don’t give a (expletive) if he’s the best 170-pounder in the world. He’ll never come back here again.”
Those were the words of UFC president Dana White, who axed veteran Paul Daley following the infamous post-fight punch against Josh Koscheck at UFC 113 in May of last year.
Since the incident, which resulted after the Brit suffered a decision loss to the AKA product, Daley has found success in outside promotions, most notably under the Strikeforce banner.
There, the hard hitter recorded a brutal knockout victory over fellow ex-UFC fighter Scott Smith, which opened the door for a welterweight title clash against then-champion Nick Diaz.
In a rousing one-rounder, which saw Daley drop Diaz in the early goings, the Stockton native was eventually able to rally back for the late TKO finish.
The match was praised by most—even the aforementioned White—regarding it as one of the more entertaining bouts in recent memory, which is evident by the “Fight of the Year” nomination it has recently received for the upcoming World MMA Awards.
Since the San Jose-based promotion has been acquired by Zuffa, parent company of the UFC, Daley now finds himself back in bed with the enemy, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Daley will have the chance to the right his wrongs in his next outing. On October 21, “Semtex” returns to Montreal against fellow UFC vet Luigi Fioravanti, headlining Ringside MMA 12. The Bell Centre, which played host to the “shot heard round world,” will also house this event.
“I’m looking forward to returning to Canada and re-writing the wrongs I made last time. Luigi is a tough guy, but I’m so focused now and ready to perform. I will stop him. My goal now is to return to the UFC. I know I’m the best and I deserve to test myself against the rest who believe the same,” said the Team Roughouse product, who spoke with Fighters Only about his next venture.
There’s no doubt that an impressive win over Luigi—who served a nine-fight stint inside the Octagon—will likely put him back on the radar, though his new contract with Strikeforce (which runs through 2013) could prove to be a roadblock in those plans.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com