Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney confirmed today that Paul Daley‘s debut with the promotion at Bellator 72 will be streamed live online, in its entirety, to fight fans living in the United Kingdom.
According to Rebney, the organization does not foresee web-based streaming with Spike as a long term solution; however, due to the great interest generated overseas by the inclusion of Daley, a deal was reached to provide a means to watch the upcoming event live in the U.K.
Daley, a native of England and a fan favorite throughout the U.K., will be making his first appearance in the Bellator cage against Rudy Bears on a card that will also feature the final match of the Bellator Welterweight Tournament between Bryan Baker and Karl Amoussou.
The controversial knockout artist may be best known for his swing at Josh Koscheck following their fight at UFC 113, a move that led to his dismissal from the promotion. Yet, in spite of his numerous struggles outside the cage, Daley has remained one of the more dynamic and explosive 170lbs fighters in the world.
After going only 2-3 in his last five outings, the 29 year old Englishman will be undoubtedly eager to start off his tenure with Bellator on a winning note.
Bellator 72 is set to air in the U.S. this Friday, July 20th at 8pm ET / 7pm CT on MTV2, and in commerical free high definition on EPIX. Fans in the U.K. will be able to watch the entire event live at 1 a.m. BST on Spike.com.