It would’ve been hard for Paul Daley to pull off a more vintage performance than his Bellator 281 swan song Friday in London.
In the declared final bout of his mixed martial arts career, Daley (44-18-2 MMA, 9-6 BMMA) rallied to land a violent one-punch knockout of gritty Brazilian debutant Wendell Giacomo (9-3 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). The walk-off stoppage came at 4:09 of Round 2 and was the 35th knockout win of Daley’s career.
The highlight didn’t come easy, something Daley became accustomed to over the span of his 20-year professional MMA career. For the majority of the first nine minutes of the fight, Daley was controlled, particularly in the grappling department. Giacomo displayed great strength and technique, until Daley saw an opportunity to explode upward.
