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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Paul Daley made his Strikeforce debut on Saturday, just seven months after his release from the UFC - complete with a lifetime ban - for his sucker punch of Josh Koscheck after their UFC 113 bout.
Taking on the always entertaining brawler Scott Smith, in Smith's welterweight debut, the fight was expected to provide fireworks. Daley didn't disappoint.
Daley knocked Smith down early, but remained patient and didn't over-exert himself with that first knockdown. After scoring with a vicious left hook, he landed three more in succession to get Smith to back up. He briefly let up, and Smith began coming forward. Daley then unleashed another left hook that put Smith's lights out, and Smith took a face dive into the mat.
The Ric Flair-esque face plant, and the extended time Smith remained still on the mat, solidified the knockout as a front-runner for "Knockout of the Year." On a night that also featured Robbie Lawler's vicious knockout of Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson's knockout of Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Daley's debut KO stood out as the best of the night, and one of the best of the year.
Penick's Analysis: Daley couldn't have had a better debut performance. He completely out-classed Smith in the striking game, and Smith just couldn't compete with the speed or power that Daley brought in this fight. The left hook that Daley landed that put Smith out hit perfectly, and Smith just collapsed. It was a violent and scary sight, but thankfully Smith recovered after a short time. Smith now needs to determine how much longer he can take the punishment he has throughout his career, in the same vein as Matt Lindland, and whether it's coming up on time for him to find something else to do with his life. He can also still compete, but he has taken some of the most brutal beatings, even in fights that he's won, of any fighter in the sport.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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