By the Numbers: Paul Daley vs. Erick Silva

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With his recent loss to Michael Page, Paul Daley’s bid to win Bellator MMA’s welterweight grand prix came to an end. He now faces Erick Silva, who is focused on notching his first win with the promotion. They will square off at the SSE Arena at Bellator London on June 22. Here are some numbers that may just set the tone for their upcoming bout.

Bellator appearances

Daley first appeared for the promotion opposite Rudy Bears at Bellator 72, which took place on July 20, 2012. After that, he fought for different promotions in Ireland, England, Russia and United Arab Emirates. He returned almost three years later at Bellator 134 and has never looked back. In all, he has fought for the promotion 10 times, with a record of 6-4.

Late last year, Silva signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator. He was supposed to make his promotional debut at Bellator 207, but had to pull out following an injury. Silva finally graced the Bellator cage on Feb. 16, 2019, albeit to a losing cause, no thanks to Yaroslav Amosov.

Longest winning streak

Even during his stint at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Silva had a little problem with consistency. He was a talented prospect that couldn’t seem to weave a string of triumphs. His longest winning streak was at five, which started at an event called Open Fight and stretched to Jungle Fight, from Aug. 4, 2007 to Sept. 19, 2009.

The more experienced Daley has recorded four four-fight winning streaks and one five-fight winning streak. His longest, however, was six, commencing on March 10, 2007 and ending on July 12, 2008. During that long run, he won the FX3 welterweight championship, defended the Cage Rage British welterweight championship twice, and won the Cage Rage world welterweight championship.

First-round finishes

Daley has registered 19 stoppages in the first round, mostly because of his fists. Without a doubt, “Semtex” is one of the strongest punchers in the division and has been using his power to end fights early.

Silva, meanwhile, is also a fast starter, with 12 of his 20 victories coming in the first round. Thanks to his submission savvy, he’s tapped out some quality competitors in the first round, most notably, Josh Koscheck.

Wins by knockout

There aren’t many things as devastating as Daley’s fists, and this is evidenced by his 32 wins by KO or TKO. Some of the fighters who have been on the receiving end of his punches include Lorenz Larkin, Martin Kampmann and Duane Ludwig.

Wins by submission

Submissions are clearly Silva’s game. He is, after all, a black belt both in jiu-jitsu and judo. Of his 20 career victories, 13 have come by submission. That only shows that he is more well-rounded than Daley, who has yet to stop an opponent with a submission.