Despite his upcoming clash with another former UFC welterweight in Lorenz Larkin, Paul Daley would ‘love to’ fight UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley for the second time
Daley and Larkin will lock horns in what promises to be an explosive encounter at Bellator 183 this Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Daley and Larkin have a combined 40 knockouts (and Daley’s two submission victories were both due to strikes), so it’s safe to say that fans can expect this duel to be contested primarily on the feet.
One of the more interesting statistics heading into that fight is that of Daley and Larkin’s combined knockouts – 40, to be precise. If that stat is anything to go by, then this bout should certainly deliver/
Daley, like Larkin, was a former UFC convert. Larkin’s passage was direct in contrast to Daley’s, who did the rounds somewhat having been fired from the promotion for his infamous after the bell strike on Josh Koscheck in 2009. The Englishman admits that he knew little of Larkin before their match was booked:
“I never even recognized this guy until he got to the UFC and until I started looking back at his fights in preparation for this fight and I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, he was in Strikeforce while I was there,’” Daley told MMA Fighting. “He didn’t really figure into my thoughts.
“I don’t really see him as an enemy, like any guy that I’ve ever stepped in the cage with. I’m just ready to fight September 23, I just hope he stands. I know he’s a standup guy from what I can see and I know the fans are desperate for me to fight a guy that is just going to stand there. We don’t mind if we’re bashed around a little bit, but just stay on your feet and let the fans get what they look forward to when ‘Semtex’ is fighting, which is a knockout. I believe I am the most prolific and the best knockout artist in all of mixed martial arts in any weight class.”
As for Woodley, Daley is seemingly a fan of his work. Having lost against the incumbent 170-pound king in a Strikeforce bout in 2011, Daley admits that the opportunity to fight him again would be intriguing. As Woodley is currently one of the UFC’s biggest stars and Daley is, of course, contracted to Bellator, it is hard to see this one having much hope of coming to fruition, however:
“You know what,” said Daley, “He’s the champion now and he’s doing work, and I give him props because not a lot of fighters are at the level that he’s at. Give him credit. Tyron Woodley, I’d love to have a rematch with him. I think we had a good fight.
“All props to him, in every interview that he mentions the guys he’s fought, he always mentions my name and not a lot of fighters do that. I know I gave him a good fight, I know he respects my abilities, and he’s one of the top tier fighters so I would love to rematch Tyron Woodley.”
