Charismatic veteran knockout artist Paul Daley did not have a good time at Bellator 199 this weekend, spending most of his fight with Jon Fitch getting ground into meat against the mat and the cage. Late in the third round, Daley was getting his head punched right next to the Bellator broadcast booth when he took issue with how analyst John McCarthy characterized his weak wrestling, and began to engage with him during his own fight. Daley was either getting testy (“Fuck Bellator!”, “You’re going to get lots of fans with this, Bellator. Millions! Millions of fans!”) or openly booing his matchup with a wrestler, the sort who Daley’s always had trouble against.
Bellator boss Scott Coker understands the value of a good spectacle, and he said Daley won’t be punished or cut for getting frustrated and letting loose. That’s relieving news for Daley, who’s been banned for life from the UFC since 2010 for throwing an after-the-bell sucker punch at Josh Koscheck following his loss at UFC 113.