Bellator was being awfully transparent in Paul Daley's mind. It was obvious what they were trying to do.
Josh Koscheck was scheduled for the main event. Daley was in the co-main. The event was booked in Koscheck's hometown of Fresno, Calif.
Everyone knew what was next. If both men won, it would set up a rematch between the two rivals.
A monkey wrench got thrown into Bellator's plans, though. Koscheck pulled out of his fight with Matt Secor at Bellator 148, which is scheduled for Friday night. Daley will now be in the main event against Andy Uhrich.
"Now unless you've completely shattered your leg or your left bollocks dropped out, your testicles somehow left your ball sack, you ain't gonna pull out of a fight when you just see how clearly the plan has been laid out," Daley told MMA Fighting. "Obviously, Koscheck didn't have no balls to begin with. He's let the whole team down. He needs to go get some type of Tampax, some sanitary towel and go sit in the corner, go paint his nails or something."
Koscheck and Daley have not liked each other for years. The two fought at UFC 113 in May 2010 and the pre-fight trash talk was notable. Then, in the fight, Koscheck used his wrestling to take down and grind Daley out for three rounds. The whole time, Koscheck trash talked the Brit. When Koscheck got up at the end of the fight, Daley took a swing at him after the bell.
The UFC immediately cut Daley and president Dana White said he would never fight in the promotion again. When Koscheck signed with Bellator last year, it was almost certain that this blood rematch would be put together. Bellator 148 was going to set the stage.
"I know he let his hometown fans down," Daley said. "I'm pretty sure he's let a lot of people at Bellator down. And now I'm doing my best to carry the rest of the show. We'll see if that fight happens. I'm doing my part. I'm doing everything I can."
Daley (37-13-2) and Koscheck will surely cross paths this week. The event is in the city where Koscheck lives and the former Ultimate Fighter 1 competitor will likely corner his protégé Chris Honeycutt in the Bellator 148 co-main event against Paul Bradley. Daley is anticipating a confrontation.
"I don't like him," he said. "I'm gonna have a few words to say to him if I see him. More often than not, he says nothing, because he knows who the real fighter is. I'm the real fighter away from the cameras and away from the risk of losing our income. He knows who would be up for the fight wherever it be. He knows that. He knows to keep quiet and just play up when the cameras are there for his own safety."
There's a chance for Daley to win over Koscheck's hometown fans. Though the former kickboxing champin isn't quite sure that will happen no matter how he does against the unheralded Uhrich.
"Maybe or maybe they will just hail me with stones after I win and I'll have to be escorted out by armed police or something, riot police," Daley said. "I'm prepared for it. I'll just go in there, do my thing and hopefully get out of there in one piece and not get attacked or whatever by the crazed Koscheck fans."
Daley, 32, still thinks his longtime rival is a top fighter despite four straight losses to close his UFC run. "Semtex" isn't sure if Koscheck is truly injured or if he's just rich now and living the good life. Maybe he isn't all that motivated, Daley said.
"He doesn't have the heart of a true fighter," Daley said. "I truly believe that."