In 2016, Bellator looked to capitalize on the tense history between two polarizing figures.
From the moment that he became the face of the UFC, Dana White had big plans for the promotion, which he has been able to turn into reality.
This wouldn’t be possible without the sport producing stars that turn heads and get people to tune in to watch them compete.
White has had issues with plenty of fighters over the years for different reasons, whether it’s personal feuds like his rivalry with Tito Ortiz or a multitude of other issues.
One iconic moment in the UFC’s history led to White immediately banning one of the fighters who was involved in some ugly post-fight scenes, before there was set to be a second installment in this chapter.
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Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck were booked for a Bellator rematch that never materialized
At UFC 113 in May of 2010, two of the UFC’s top welterweights collided in a huge matchup that carried title implications for both men.
Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck were two polarizing figures that clearly didn’t like each other, which led to the bad blood between them boiling over inside the Octagon.
The fight played out with Koscheck using his wrestling to stifle the superior striking of his opponent but after the final bell sounded, he couldn’t resist having the final word.
As the two men were walking away, the American said something to his opponent that led to Daley walking after him and throwing a left hook at his opponent before the referee could separate them.
The Brit would exit the promotion after being banned by Dana White and he would later go on to achieve a good career in Bellator where at one point, the promotion looked to capitalize on his history with Koscheck.
They were matched up for a rematch in London on July 16 of 2016 at Bellator 158 and shared several more heated interactions in the build-up to the fight, until Koscheck withdrew less than two weeks out.
Daley stayed on the card and had his winning streak ended by Douglas Lima in the main event.
Paul Daley could have had a very memorable career in the UFC if he hadn’t lashed out at Josh Koscheck
Before what happened at UFC 113 in 2010, Paul Daley had already cemented himself as an exciting welterweight to watch.
The Brit had recorded back-to-back knockout wins inside the Octagon to quickly climb the ranks but his decision to lash out at Josh Koscheck ended his run in the promotion early.
Daley would still go on to produce some memorable moments and wins, beating the likes of Jorge Masvidal and producing one of the best fights of all time with Nick Diaz in the years after his UFC departure.
Ending his career with 35 of his 43 pro wins coming via knockout, who knows what impact ‘Semtex’ could have gone on to have if he had remained in the UFC.