Preview: Bellator 241 ‘Pitbull vs. Carvalho’

Welterweights

Paul Daley (42-17-2) vs. Sabah Homasi (13-8)

ODDS: Daley (-400), Homasi (+300)

Daley is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport, with over 60 professional bouts under his belt. He has competed in several top organizations, from Cage Rage, Pancrase and Strikeforce to EliteXC, the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts. However, he has fought exclusively in Bellator since 2015. “Semtex” holds wins over the likes of Duane Ludwig, Martin Kampmann, Jorge Masvidal and Lorenz Larkin. He was a contestant in the Bellator welterweight grand prix but was eliminated by Michael Page in a highly debated decision at Bellator 216. The Englishman rebounded from that fight by defeating Erick Silva and Saad Awad in back-to-back affairs. This will be the 13th time Daly competes for the promotion. The 37-year-old is a short and compact kickboxer who packs earth-shattering power in both of his hands, as evidenced by the fact that he has 31 knockout wins to his credit. He likes to explode towards his opponent while firing off hard hooks and uppercuts with his left hook having become something of a legend. He generates this bone-crushing power because he sits down on his punches in a wide base, all while throwing his entire body into each strike. The Englishman has an underappreciated clinch game, as he has battered several opponents with punches, elbows and knees from close quarters. The bane of Daley’s existence has always been his defensive wrestling. He has been easily taken down by high-level wrestlers and struggled to get back to his feet. He does not pose any threat of submission off his back.

Homasi’s debut in Bellator could not have gone much better. The UFC veteran separated Micah Terrill from consciousness with a crushing overhand right in just 17 seconds at Bellator 225 in August. The 31-year-old already has more wins in the promotion than he did he did in the UFC, where he went 0-3 before being cut. Homasi is known for his striking, as he uses a lot of feints to draw out openings through which he can land his counters. The American Top Team representative can pick apart his adversaries with a technical striking game from range but often invites a brawl, relying on having more power and the more durable chin. When he does stick to a game plan, “The Sleek Sheik” dispatches hard kicks to all areas of his opponent’s body and does well to target the midsection with punches. Homasi’s biggest technical flaw: He has a propensity to keep his head on the centerline and try to block punches by covering his head with his arms. This strategy will be his downfall against a superior striker. One of Homasi’s best positions is the clinch, where he fires off hard knees to the body. He will mix in a takedown attempt but is not known for being much of a wrestler. If he does find himself on top, he punishes his opponent with hard ground strikes. Another weakness in Homasi is that he can tire out fairly quickly when he empties the tank by looking for a knockout with every strike he throws.

Homasi might have a grappling advantage on Daley, but he is not nearly as skilled with his takedowns as Jon Fitch, Rory MacDonald and Josh Koscheck—men who used that strategy to get past the Englishman. Expect Daley to be able to avoid some of his attempts and force Homasi to slug it out with him. Very few fighters can best “Semtex” in a striking battle, and Homasi is not one of them. Daley wins by first-round KO.

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