Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley Signs With Bellator, Debuts July 20 In Florida

The Bellator Welterweight division just got even more explosive as feared British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley joins one of Bellator’s deepest divisions in a move that adds another world-class fighter to Bellator’s talent-laden roster.

“I’ve been a Semtex fan for years,” said Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He’s an incredibly explosive fighter who is magic to watch inside the cage. So, when the opportunity presented itself to join forces with Paul, it was a simple decision to make. Paul’s one of those fighters I’ve always intentionally stayed home to watch and now I can watch him cageside at Bellator.”

Daley will make his Bellator debut on July 20 as the promotion will host Bellator 72 from The University of South Florida’s Sun Dome in Tampa LIVE on MTV2 and in commercial-free HD on EPIX.

Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, by visiting the Sun Dome Box Office and at all Ticketmaster outlets including Wal-Mart. Ticket prices range from $30 – $120.

Hailing for Nottingham, England, Daley has enjoyed an incredibly successful career amassing a 29-12 record that includes 20 KO victories. “Semtex” holds victories over Martin Kampmann, Jorge Masvidal, Scott Smith and Duane Ludwig and at only 29 years old, the sky is limit for Daley in Bellator.

“I’ve been a fan of Bellator for a long while,” Daley said. “When this chance came up, I was absolutely ready to make a long term commitment to Bellator. I have my sights set on winning the tournament and winning that Bellator title.”

Daley joins an impressive list of welterweights with Bellator, including reigning Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren, Season 6 Tournament Finalists Bryan Baker and Karl Amoussou, Ben Saunders and Douglas Lima. Even with the loaded lineup, Daley knows he has his work cut out for him.

“The organization has really been developing and signing a lot of the best fighters in the world, and it’s another reason why I signed with Bellator,” Daley said. “The tournament format is something that really stood out to me, and it’s a chance to face some of the best fighters in the sport. There isn’t anyone sitting at the top of the mountain top making decisions on who fights who, the fighters get to decide who is going to be the next champion, and that’s how it should be. Bellator does it right, and that’s why I’m here.”

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA, follow Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney @BjornRebney and check out Bellator on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator

About Bellator Fighting Championships

Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator, Latin for Warrior, is partnered with entertainment industry leaders Viacom and Fremantle Entertainment, and is the world’s leading tournament-based mixed martial arts organization. Bellator’s Founder, Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.

About MTV2

Available in approximately 80 million homes MTV2 is man’s best friend. Since its launch in 1996, the network has reflected the subversive interests and behaviors of young men with a compelling and diverse programming line-up inspired by ordinary guys who do extraordinary things. MTV2 is part of Viacom Media Networks, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com or follow us on Twitter @MTVPress.

About EPIX

EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies.

EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.