Paul Daley was one of Bellator’s first splashy signings, but his entry into the organization’s welterweight tournament field will have to wait after being forced to the sidelines due to problems related to his travel visa.
His manager confirmed his withdrawal to MMA Fighting. It was initially reported by ESPN.
That story reported that Daley’s visa had been denied due to ongoing legal problems related to a bar fight, an incident that could cost him two years in prison.
Asked via email to comment on the report, Daley’s manager Wad Alameddine said, “It is visa related, the rest is not really accurate to be honest.”
Meanwhile, Daley took to Facebook to refute the report, writing, “I was not involved in a bar brawl. This is 100% a false statement.”
Daley said he was simply awaiting a decision on his visa which would not come until April. It is unclear if it was the same visa issue that ruled him out of Bellator 79 in November.
Daley is the second high-profile scratch from the season eight welterweight tourney after Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver was forced out due to a broken tibia and torn ACL. Daley and Koppenhaver were at one time scheduled to face off in the kickoff to the tourney.
The British striker has competed once under the Bellator banner, knocking out Rudy Bears in July 2012.