(Seen here: A typical Bellator contract negotiation.)
From being outed for their shady drug testing policies by their current welterweight champion, to being outed for their even shadier contract practices by their former lightweight champion, Bellator is coming off as less a legit MMA promotion nowadays and more a venus fly trap that feeds off the desperation of its employees. With more and more fighters publicly trashing the promotion by the day, it seems as if it is only a matter of time before Bellator finds itself completely void of interest from potential clients.
And who is the latest Bellator-employed fighter to publicly disclose the promotion’s crooked business practices, you ask? That would be none other than UFC…ahem..veteran Paul Daley. If you recall, Daley has been struggling to work out some visa issues that may or may not be related to assault charges he may or may not be facing, and has thusly been unable to fight for Bellator since July of 2012. Despite the fact that “Semtex” is of no use to Bellator currently, he is still under contract with the organization, which has in turn allowed them to play ping pong with Daley’s balls. Metaphorically speaking, of course (via Daley’s Facebook):
Just got word Bellator have refused to allow me to fight yet another opponent!!! It’s becoming really frustrating that even though they are not my managers, they can approve my fights.
I’ve got great fights offered to keep me busy fighting and earning, and they seem to want to put a stop to this….all this while, having to pay for my OWN legal costs on a matter that influence my visa outcome…and my ability to fight for the promotion (Bellator) Its bullshit.
There’s a lot more too…with regards to other promoters having to PAY Bellator a “Booking fee” for using me on there(sic) shows?….
Terrible.
At this point, it’s safe to assume that Jade Bryce and her adorable MMA meme impressions are the only the redeeming points of signing a Bellator contract.
Say what you want about Daley as a person, but at the end of the day, the man needs to fight to make a living. If Bellator is actually denying him that right while simultaneously insisting that he pay out of his own pocket to fight for them (which, given their history, seems likely), then…damn, what the hell, Bjorn? Are you actively trying to turn your public persona into that of The Penguin, or are we just missing out on some crucial information here? RETURN OUR CALLS, GOD DAMN YOU.
We will have more information on this story as it is made available.