BALLATOR LONDON: “I’VE ENCOUNTERED IT ALL” THE NOTTINHAM FIGHTER TOLD MEDIA DURING AN INTERVIEW
Paul Anthony Daley is a British professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional competitor since 2003, Daley has formerly competed for the UFC, Bellator MMA, Cage Rage, Final Fight …
A trailblazing mixed martial arts career that started with a cheque that bounced and controversially stalled at its peak comes to a “fitting end” in London on Friday.
Daley, better known simply as ‘Semtex’ – an explosive nickname he has lived up to for two decades – is one of the sport’s British pioneers.
The former Army reconnaissance driver has gone from scrapping in working men’s clubs and headlining cards at local leisure centres when MMA was in its infancy at the turn of the century to starring under the neon lights of Las Vegas.
What the 39-year-old proudly calls “a typical fighter’s story” – and one that shares plenty in common with fictional movie boxer Rocky Balboa – ends at Wembley Arena against Wendell Giacomo at Bellator London.
“I’ve encountered it all,” Nottingham fighter Daley told BBC East Midlands Today. “Put a Rocky movie on and you have the same ups and downs, wins and losses, changes in camp, disgruntlement with promoters. I’ve led the fighter’s road, it’s not been easy.
“I’ve gone from leisure centres and working men’s clubs – in my first fight I had two of my best mates from school corner for me who knew nothing about fighting. That first cheque was only £80 and it bounced, so I didn’t get paid.”
So how did the mixed martial artist who grew up in London “dreaming of being a ninja” go on to become a cult hero – boasting 42 wins and two draws from 62 fights – in one of the world’s most brutal sports?
“Self-belief,” Daley says with a smile, is what his career has been built on.
“I just truly believed that I would be able to make a living from it,” he continued.
“I was fortunate to have a great coach and mentor in Rupert Smiley who was able to see the potential in me and who also schooled me in business and how to generate money to fund myself.
“My primary goal as a kid was to be a ninja, and that is part of the reason I’ve stuck with it.
“I remember going to my mum saying, ‘I’m going to be a ninja,’ and she said, ‘Stop dreaming son.’ That gave me a little fire and I wanted to show I could. And that’s what I am.”
Daley, however, has never been one to work silently in the shadows. He has led more an attention-grabbing, body-bruising, big-hitting kind of career.
His greatest mistake in the sport is also one of MMA’s most infamous, having been thrown out of UFC after approaching and throwing a punch at Josh Koscheck after a fight in 2010.
After years of toil with British MMA promotions such as Cage Rage and Cage Warriors, his stint with UFC lasted just three fights.
Daley knows talk of regrets will lead many to pinpoint that moment during his time in the octagon, but he does not see it as such.
“Who knows if I’d still be here if I had my UFC run,” he said.
“I was on a fast trajectory, on my way up and could have been gone. In five fights, maybe, I could have made some money and my career could have been over – who knows if I would have had the motivation to continue at that stage?”
Following his expulsion, Daley was once again scrapping for a living.
At this point, more than a decade ago, he admits “he could have stopped”.
“Because I was banned from UFC and because of the person I am, I like to prove people wrong,” he said. “So I stuck with the sport.
“I was back in Sunderland, or something like that, in a kick-boxing match in front of 500 people to get a bit of money. I could have stopped and done something else, but I had a point to prove.
“From my time in the sport I knew I had a loyal fan base. There is only one ‘Semtex’, people still wanted to see me fight. So I kept going and I’m still here.”
He now just has one fight, three rounds and just 15 minutes to go before bringing it to a close.
“It’s going to be quite difficult just to make it to the cage without breaking down with emotion,” Daley said.
“What I can guarantee is that when I get there I will put on a hell of a performance and knock this guy out.”
