MMA
Paul Daley hospitalized after failed weight cut; Bellator 247 main event changed
Bellator's first event outside the United States since COVID-19 took a big hit.
On Wednesday, Paul Daley was pulled from his Bellator 247 main event in Milan, Italy, against Derek Anderson after officially weighing in at 172.6, 1.6 pounds over the non-title welterweight limit. Complications from the failed weight cut caused Daley to be taken out on a stretcher to a local hospital. The new main event will be Kate Jackson and Bellator kickboxing champion Denise Kielholtz in a women's flyweight bout.
"Paul Daley weighed in at 172.6 during the official window," a Bellator official said in a statement to DAZN News. "He was unable to make it to the stage during the ceremonial weigh-ins shortly after and was subsequently transported. Fight is off, and we will have a new main event shortly."
Daley released a video on Instagram explaining what led to the fight being pulled. The Brit said he let Bellator officials know that he misjudged his weight cut and wouldn't be hitting the 171-pound mark. He tipped the scales at 172.6 and started rehydrating immediately.
Daley said usually he would be back in his hotel room going through the rehydrating process but had to take a COIVD-19 test and then some promotional obligations. That's when Daley started feeling pain in his hip and experienced abdominal cramps. The pain got so bad for "Semtex" that he requested to go to the hospital, where he says he slept for about 90 minutes and then hopped in an Uber back to the fighter hotel. He thought he'd still be able to compete, but Bellator officials had already pulled the plug.
"No IV, fit to go, wanted to fight," Daley said in the video. "And then I've just heard that there's no chance. Like I said, [what happened with the last part of the weight cut] is not unusual for professional fighters. It just normally takes place in our rooms with our team. It's just unfortunate that it took place downstairs and that Bellator, CBS, and Sky Sports — even though I'm fit, I'm healthy, I'm 100 percent, no hospital treatment, ready to go right now — they don't want to put the fight on. So I apologize."
The 37-year-old Daley had been looking to extend his winning streak to three. This is Daley's third fight in a row that has been canceled. He'd been scheduled to face off against Sabah Homasi at Bellator 232, but Homasi withdrew due to an injury. The bout was rebooked for Bellator 241, but the card was scrapped on the day of the event because of COVID-19.
