Paul Daley explains why he nearly wound up in hospital following Bellator weigh-ins
Paul Daley has explained why he nearly ended up in hospital after failing to make weight for his scheduled Bellator 247 bout.
Daley’s main event fight against Derek Anderson was called off after “Semtex” was unable to make the necessary weight that required him to compete. In the hours after he failed to weigh in, many were speculating as to whether or not the contest would still go ahead regardless of the circumstances.
During a recent post on Instagram, the veteran decided to clear things up.
“I weighed in at 172.6 pounds, so I was 1.6 pounds over. Sorry – I got that a little bit wrong there,” Daley explained (via MMA Junkie). “Went down to the weigh-ins, felt OK, still feeling the effects, knew I was going to come in over. I let the Bellator staff know I was going to come in over. All was well, fight was still on.”
“I went back to lie down in the medical room, because they have those beds,” he said. “(I) started to get some cramps,” Daley added. “They’re not your ‘pull up on the football field’ cramps. (They were) severe cramps in my hip, and abdominal cramps, which I’m used to, and has happened before previously when cutting weight. But usually, all of this is all taking place upstairs in my bedroom with my team, out of the way, while I’m getting rehydrated and getting my body where it needed to be.
“Unfortunately, because of the restrictions, this had to take place downstairs in full view of other fighters, the Bellator staff, etc., so I understand why everyone was taken aback a bit by this,” Daley continued. “I wasn’t allowed to leave. So then I’m calling for assistance from the Bellator staff. I need to lower my body temperature, keep getting fluids on board, and if someone could massage my legs – as stupid as it sounds – that would be a big help.
“It took about 15, 20 minutes for people to take me seriously,” Daley continued. “Everyone kept giving me countdowns to get up to do the fake weigh-ins. I’m on the bed, not doing too good. I’m saying, ‘Look, I need some help.’ Give credit to one or two of the Bellator staff that could see the situation and came and helped. This escalated and led to me saying, ‘You know what, get me an ambulance. Cancel the fight, get me an ambulance. I’ll just have an IV – the IV being the key, because I know if you have an IV, the fight’s off, anyway.”
Withe fight off, Daley then took an ambulance to the hospital.
“Ambulance came, got wheeled off, got to the hospital and was there for an hour and a half, and I slept,” Daley said.”Obviously, my case wasn’t a priority because there were elderly people coming in for whatever reason. … So I just slept in the waiting area, on the bed, for an hour and a half. When I woke up, I was there with my cornerman, I felt great, I hadn’t seen a doctor, no one even knew I was there. Jumped off the bed, jumped in an Uber and came back to the hotel. I just ate, feel fresh, feel 100 percent. Then I realize because I didn’t have the IV that there’s a possibility I can get this fight back on.”
“This is not unusual for professional fighters,” Daley added. “It just normally takes place in a room with my team. It’s just unfortunate it took place downstairs and Bellator, CBS and Sky Sports – even though I’m fit, I’m healthy, I’m 100 percent, no hospital treatment, ready to go right now – don’t want to put the fight on, so I apologize.”
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