Paul Daley’s flying-knee knockout at Bellator 170 not only sent Brennan Ward out on a stretcher, but it also gave him a scar that could last a lifetime.
Daley (39-14-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) delivered the most violent moment of Saturday’s Spike-televised fight card, which took place The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., when he connected with the perfect flying kneeto Ward’s (14-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) face in the opening round of their welterweight co-main event (watch the highlights above).
The bout was touted as a clash of knockout artists, and Daley certainly lived up to his end of the bargain with the highlight-reel finish, which put Ward to sleep and forced officials to remove him from the cage on a stretcher for precautionary reasons.
Although Bellator officials stated Ward was alert and responsive in the immediate aftermath of the contest, there was no mention of the horrific cut opened around his left eye, which Ward revealed today (via Instagram):
The latest revelation is almost certain to make Daley feel even worse. At the post-event press conference, he praised Ward as a fighter he respects and said the memorable finish didn’t bring him complete joy.
“To get a victory, it was kind of mixed emotions,” Daley said. “The first two minutes was running around like a headless chicken and going crazy. And then I look across, and I see his girlfriend, and she’s crying.
“It was hard. I just hope he’s OK.”
For complete coverage of Bellator 170, check out the MMA Eventssection of the site.
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