UFC CEO Dana White handed Paul Daley a lifetime ban after throwing a post-fight punch at Josh Koscheck.
UK MMA legend Paul Daley was on the quick ascent to a potential UFC welterweight title shot before he ran into Josh Koscheck at UFC 113. After back-to-back wins to kick off his UFC tenure, Daley’s time in the Octagon came to an abrupt end due to an egregious infraction.
Daley and Koscheck squared off in the UFC 113 co-main event in a highly-anticipated welterweight showdown with massive title implications. The card was headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Lyoto Machida.
While the fight delivered high-octane action, the matchup between Daley and Koscheck is mostly known for what happened just seconds after the final horn.
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Paul Daley is one of the biggest UFC ‘What Ifs’ after lifetime ban
Koscheck utilized his elite wrestling to frustrate Daley throughout three rounds. While Daley had some positive moments on the feet, Koscheck was able to withstand most of the UK star’s advances en route to a unanimous decision win.
As Round 3 came to a close, Koscheck appeared to say something to Daley as he was walking away, which irritated his opponent. Daley responded by suckerpunching Koscheck in the face before referee Dan Miragliotta intervened to control the scene.
Watch the chaotic incident between Daley and Koscheck below.
UFC CEO Dana White wasted little time in handing Daley a post-fight punishment, which resulted in a lifetime ban from competing in the promotion.
“I don’t give a s— if he’s the best 170-pounder in the world. He’ll never come back here again,” White said at the UFC 113 post-fight press conference.
White and the UFC held firm on their banning of Daley from competing in the cage. After UFC 113, Daley went on to have a decorated MMA career in other promotions like Bellator, Strikeforce, and Cage Warriors.
Daley retired from MMA after a knockout win over Wendell Giacomo at Bellator 281. He won four of his final five fights, including wins over Sabah Homasi and Saad Awad.
UFC has parted ways with several prominent fighters for egregious infractions
The UFC is unafraid from parting ways with fighters for unsportsmanlike conduct. After Rousimar Palhares refused to let go of a submission of Mike Pierce, the UFC released Palhares and the talented Brazilian never returned to the promotion.
Many fans called for the UFC to ban Nikolay Veretennikov for cheapshotting Austin Vanderford at UFC Seattle earlier this year. But as of this writing, Veretennikov remains on the UFC roster.
Daley walked away with a 43-18 career record in MMA. He amassed 35 knockouts during his cage tenure.
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