Visa Issues Force Paul Daley Out Of Bellator Season 8 Welterweight Tournament

Paul "Semtex" Daley

Daley out of Bellator welterweight tourney

Former UFC welterweight contender and current Bellator fighter Paul Daley won't be stepping in the cage as a part of the promotion's Season 8 welterweight tournament.

Bellator officials cited visa issues as the reasoning behind his removal, according to MMAjunkie.com.

At the moment, the story appears to be a bit deeper than simply issues with getting into the United States in the spring. According to a report from ESPN, Daley currently finds himself in legal trouble.

The report revealed that Daley is facing an assault charge stemming from a bar fight, resulting in his inability to acquire a visa.

Daley quickly responded via Facebook.

"I was not involved in a bar brawl," Daley wrote, after addressing his inability to compete in the upcoming tournament. "This is 100% a false statement."

Daley was originally expected to meet War Machine (formerly Jon Koppenhaver), a bout which fans voted for earlier this year. But injuries forced War Machine out of the bout, and the match up was postponed.

For the time being, the heavy-handed Brit plans to keep busy overseas.

"I will be fighting in Europe in the coming months, so I am able to stay active while awaiting a decision on my visa status."

Daley expects a decision on his visa to be made by the end of April.

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