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‘THE RED KING’ RORY MacDONALD RETURNS, MAKES BELLATOR DEBUT AGAINST BRITISH SLUGGER PAUL ‘SEMTEX’ DALEY
BELLATOR 179: DALEY VS. MacDONALD EMANATES FROM THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY ON MAY 19 – TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 3
LONDON -- (Feb. 9, 2017) – Paul “Semtex” Daley (39-14-2) is getting what he asked for. On May 19, the explosive fighter from Nottingham, England will meet Rory MacDonald (18-4) in the main event of Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald at The SSE Arena, Wembley.
Rising undefeated British sensation, Michael “Venom” Page (12-0), better known to Bellator fans as “MVP,” is also expected to make his in-cage return in front of a hometown crowd.
Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald will be broadcast on SPIKE at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the event will be available Friday, March 3 at The SSE Arena, Wembley Box Office (0844 815 0815), ssearena.co.uk and axs.com. A special SSE pre-sale will take place Wednesday, March 1 through Thursday, March 2. A pre-sale for The SSE Arena, Wembley will be available Thursday, March 2.
Immediately following his flying-knee knockout of Brennan Ward at Bellator 170: Ortiz vs. Sonnen, Daley took the microphone during his post-fight interview and made the most of his time, emphatically calling for his May 19 opponent by name. Now, a little more than 100 miles from his home, “Semtex” will attempt to spoil the Bellator MMA debut of MacDonald. A 55-fight veteran of the sport, with six appearances under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion, the British heavy hitter has recorded victories in 10 of his last 12 bouts with 31 of his 39 victories coming via finish.
After signing MacDonald to an exclusive, multi-year, multi-fight contract in 2016, the must-see talent returned to the gym where he carefully honed his craft and readied himself for an eagerly-anticipated return to MMA. The former No. 1 contender to the UFC welterweight crown now sets his sights on the always-exciting Daley, looking to add to a list of strong career wins, which includes current UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, B.J. Penn, Demian Maia and Nate Diaz. “The Red King” is clearly the most popular active Canadian mixed martial artist since Georges St-Pierre, whom MacDonald has trained under for years at the world-renowned TriStar Gym in Montreal. At only 27-years-old, MacDonald joins Bellator’s welterweight fray poised to immediately make an impact in the division, as he looks to defeat Daley and shock the London crowd.
Updated Bellator 179: Daley vs. MacDonald Main Card:
Welterweight Main Event: Paul Daley (39-14-2) vs. Rory MacDonald (18-4)
About Bellator:
Bellator is a leading mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 500 million homes worldwide in over 140 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on SPIKE, the combat sports television leader. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.
About Spike:
Spike is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.
