Paul "Semtex" Daley’s strategy against Strikeforce Welterweight champion Nick Diaz is simple. Hit him. Hit him hard. And hit him early.
Diaz also has a game plan. Take him down. Control his body. And tap him out.
These two brash brawlers will collide this Saturday, April 9 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego for the Strikeforce Welterweight crown live on SHOWTIME®, in a highly anticipated matchup featuring two of the sport’s top fighters.
The battle features two premiere athletes in their primes, in an epic encounter that is as much about pride, personal triumph and redemption as it is about wearing Strikeforce gold.
Daley wants to be the first Englishman to win a major world title. And after a notable moment of unsportsmanlike conduct in a fight more than a year ago, Daley badly thirsts for respect and forgiveness from the fans and the MMA community. A victory will earn him that.
Diaz too has a lot on the line. Although Diaz downplays the significance of the Daley fight in interviews, saying he just wants "to get paid," the fight represents a major moment for the Stockton, California native.