Two 170-pound champions are set to collide during the next installment of Elite XC: "Saturday Night Fights" on CBS at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., on October 4.
Sources close to Elite XC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4–1) have confirmed that he has verbally agreed to put his newly-won title on the line against Cage Rage Welterweight Champion Paul "Semtex" Daley (18-6 –2).
Both fighters were penciled in to compete against different opponents on the recently canceled Albuquerque, N.M., show that was set for September 20. However, now it appears the promotion has opted to go a new direction and stage one of the best possible match ups in the weight class.
Shields -– widely regarded as the top welterweight in the world not fighting in the UFC -– recently won the inaugural division title for the promotion when he essentially ran through a very tough Nick Thompson at Elite XC: "Unfinished Business" last month.
The Cesar Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout is on a blistering 10-fight win streak, racking up impressive wins against top-level talent such as Mike Pyle, Renato Verissimo, Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit and others.
Perhaps most impressive is that he’s been able to improve fight after fight, finishing his last five opponents –- something that was a knock on him midway through in his blossoming career.
For "Semtex," this will mark his first fight on United States soil since a knockout over Sam Morgan January 25. Daley went into a quasi-retirement after the win and just recently returned to action with a first round knockout victory over Bojan Kosednar at a Cage Warriors show in his hometown of Nottingham, England, in July.
Daley has a huge following in England and is expected to turn a lot of heads when he makes his return to the states. He’s on a six fight winning streak and has stopped his last five opponents with strikes. The British import clearly represents one of the biggest threats to Elite XC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields’ crown.
This is a fantastic booking and perhaps an even better fight when it all goes down live and for free on national television in less than two months.
To check out the latest "Saturday Night Fights" fight card click here.
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