Paul Daley

Bellator 247 loses it’s main event despite Paul Daley’s claims

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Bellator 247 was dealt a crushing blow this morning. The promotion is set to host an event from Milan, Italy tomorrow, but due to a weight cutting issue, the main event was said to be cancelled. Paul Daley (41-17-2) missed weight by 2.6 pounds and got sick from the weight cut.

This morning, Daley was said to have been taken to the hospital after his failed weight cut. English MMA reporter Gareth A Davies first tweeted out about Daley not coming back for the ceremonial face offs after the weigh ins. Bellator officials told Ariel Helwani that the fight was cancelled.

However, Daley has since responded to the media claiming that all of the reports are false. Daley posted an Instagram video saying that he was back at the fighter hotel and received no medical treatment. He also said that his opponent, Derek Anderson (16-3), has accepted the fight.

Bellator 247 Main Event

The entire situation is odd. You have Bellator officials who have confirmed that the fight was off, but Daley has come out saying it’s not true. I’m not sure why Daley would post a video like that if the fight was not taking place. However, since posting the video, Bellator officials once again confirmed the cancellation.

The entire situation is very bizarre. If the fight does take place, it’s a very solid welterweight contest for the promotion. Daley and Anderson are both coming into this contest on two-fight winning streaks.

Anderson is a very well rounded fighter who can get it done on the feet, and he can submit you. He’s won four straight fights by decision with one coming against Patricky Pitbull. However, Anderson hasn’t been extremely active only fighting five times over the last five years due to a number of injuries

Daley of course is known for his elite striking skills. Those striking skills were on display in his last fight where he stopped Saad Awad in the second round of their fight back at Bellator 232. Daley has always struggled against guys who try to wrestle him.

Bellator’s Changing TV Networks

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Bellator President Scott Coker made a big announcement today for the promotion. For the last couple of years, the promotion has called the Paramount Network home.

However, starting on October 1st, Bellator will be moving to CBS Sports Network. Tomorrow night will mark the final card that will take place on Paramount for Bellator.

Bellator‘s parent company, ViacomCBS, made the decision to move the promotion over to a network that is focused on sports. This comes on the heels of the Viacom and CBS merger in December.

What it means for Bellator?

Bellator will be making the move on October 1st over the CBS Sports Network. That card will take place from Milan and it will be headlined by Paul Daley (41-17-2) and Derek Anderson (16-3). The next card will be the first major MMA event in France.

Coker said that this move to the CBS Sports network was years in the making. One of the problems that Bellator has ran into in the past was airing live events that were not domestic. With the limitations of Paramount, many times fans couldn’t see the action live.

However, with the move to a dedicated sports network, the promotion will have the full ability to bring fans live fights wherever they are. Coker was asked about Bellator eventually getting a slot on the national CBS channel for some of their big fights.

“What I will say is this is one family (ViacomCBS). I believe that one day we will get there. But for now, CBS Sports Network,” Coker said to the media. This is the smart move by ViacomCBS to get Bellator on a sports driven platform.

This by no means puts them on a competitive level with the UFC and ESPN, but moving to a sports driven network is a great move for Bellator as they continue to look to evolve.