UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Paul Daley is fighting on Friday and that’s all he knows as far as his future in MMA is concerned.
The former Bellator title challenger takes on Jason Jackson in a 175-pound catchweight in the co-main event of Bellator 260 – the same card where the welterweight title will be disputed, as Douglas Lima defends his belt against unbeaten contender Yaroslav Amosov.
Daley (43–17–2 MMA, 9-4 BMMA) enters the bout with Jackson (14-4 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) having fought in mid-April when he stopped Sabah Homasi. It’s a quick turnaround and perhaps a surprising one as Daly had hinted at potential retirement after the bout with Homasi.
“Yeah, a quick turnaround, I’m more than happy,” Daley told MMA Junkie. “I had asked for July August and they got me in before then. I only had a week off, so I was good to go almost immediately.
“Had they not put me in so soon, who knows what would’ve happened. The fact that they kept me busy is probably a tactical thing to keep my mind off retirement, keep squeezing me for the market value – in a nice way. But I like it, I enjoy that people want to see me fight. I look forward to putting on a show for the people on Friday.”
Jackson is on a four-fight winning streak and considered one of the top contenders at welterweight. He has wins over Neiman Gracie, Jordan Mein, and former UFC champion Benson Henderson.
A win could put Daley in a favorable position for a potential title shot, but even then there’s no guarantee the Englishman will continue fighting past Friday.
“It depends,” Daley said. “Again, I don’t want to say anything, so we’ll just see how it goes. I will beat Jason on Friday and we’ll see what Bellator offers me. It has to be an attractive offer, but we’ll leave that up to them.”