Paul Daley showed once again why he is considered among the biggest power punchers in mixed martial arts as he earned a spectacular knockout finish of fellow veteran fighter Saad Awad during Saturday’s Bellator 232 event.
Daley came into his 61st professional mixed martial arts bout on the back of a rare two-fight skid after losing successive fights to Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Jon Fitch.
But any fears of the first three-fight losing streak of his career were arrested early in the second round when the fiercely creative Daley landed a short-range left hook on Awad during a frenetic exchange.
The potency of the blow immediately caused Awad’s legs to give way beneath him where he covered up as England’s Daley followed up with a hammerfists on the ground as the referee rushed in to stop the fight.
Incredibly, it was the 31st knockout of his career and it is no surprise that it came in a fight in which his opponent, Awad, was more than happy to stand in the pocket and trade punches – a tactic more often ignored by Daley’s foes. While Awad did find some success with his right hand throughout the early exchanges, it was Daley who landed the telling blow.
British MMA's legendary left-hook grenadier, Paul Daley (42-17-2), detonates once more, with feeling, on Saad Awad to score a calamitous, second-round stoppage! The 16-year vet boasts a staggering 33 finishes, each by knockout. #Bellator232pic.twitter.com/X17YrATTu4
Paul Daley TKO’s Saad Awad in the second round. The power of Daley is just scary. One massive left hand and Awad was flat on his back. Props to Awad for stepping in on six days notice though. #Bellator232pic.twitter.com/QiAL5eE2Zh
Elsewhere on the card, Douglas Lima defeated Rory MacDonald by a clear-cut decision through five rounds of action to win the Bellator welterweight title and its welterweight grand prix – along with a cool $1 million prize.
The victory will be a sweet one for Brazil’s Lima, who lost the championship to MacDonald in their first meeting in January of last year, setting up a potential ‘winner takes all’ trilogy bout between the two next year.
Kevin Ferguson Jr., or ‘Baby Slice’ as he is known, took less than a minute to KO Craig Campbell to increase his record to 4-2 while Nick Newell, a congenital amputee fighter, lost for just the third time in his 19-fight career after coming up short on a split decision against Manny Muro.
