WSOF's Paul Bradley: I was on Bellator's release list for finishing its 'golden boy'

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2016/8/3...st-for-finishing-its-golden-boy-interview-mma

Paul Bradley competed in the final fight on his Bellator MMA contract at Bellator 148 earlier this year. Despite heading into a rematch against Chris Honeycutt as the underdog, he pulled off the victory with a stunning first-round TKO.

After the win, one could assume the Viacom-owned organization would be more than willing to sign Bradley to a new deal. But that was not the case. Instead, officials delayed the re-signing of "The Gentleman."

"It was one of those things where I'm coming off that big win against [Chris] Honeycutt, and I'd been told for awhile I was getting a new contract," Bradley told BloodyElbow.com. "That was the last fight on my contract with Bellator. They kind of kept dragging their feet. They told me they'd get me a contract in April; then they said they'd get it to us in June, nothing there."

Bradley was actually on a list of fighters who were potentially not going to be re-signed by Bellator MMA, despite currently riding a three-fight unbeaten streak. He wasn't aware of that until contacting Bellator MMA's matchmaker, Rich Chou. Although the news was very surprising to him, it explained the delays.

"Finally, I kept hounding Rich Chou. He called me, and he basically told me that there were too many fighters and not enough events. And I was actually on a potential list to not be re-signed," he revealed. "I'm not the only one; I've talked to a few other fighters. But I don't want to bring their names up. I'll be very surprised when I see more names on that list that are coming out that won't be re-signed. I have one guy in my head in particular, and I'm just like, 'Wow, really?' The guy's on a two-fight win streak with two nasty knockouts. I'm not the only one.


"I kind of had something going on with [WSOF] when I first moved to San Diego three years ago. I actually signed a contract with them," he said. "But Ali couldn't give me a date, couldn't tell me when I was ever going to fight. I don't really know the guy, but, like I said, we signed a contract with him, and the guy just couldn't give me any answers to when I was going to fight. At that point, I needed the money, and I needed to fight. So, I ended up taking a fight in a regional show down in Florida. I lost a very controversial split decision and essentially lost my job for it.

"That's the only interaction I've had with Ali, but after talking with Ray, he brought that up, that Ali was matchmaking and managing fighters at the same time. It just wasn't in their best interest to have a guy like that in that position. Even if you don't want to think you're favoring your fighters, there's always going to be that in the back of your mind. Like, 'Oh, I gotta get my guy in here soon.'"

There was a good chance Bradley would not have signed with WSOF, had Abdelaziz stayed with the organization.

"I don't know that I would go that route with him still being in there," he said. "I think it could've been a lot different if he was still in there, but I don't know enough about the situation to really dig deep down in there to really know what's going on."

 

So idiotic! bradley would have been a logical next contender in such a shallow ww division and all the hype they put on honeycutt was coming off a pretty big win. They just let him go to wsof after beating up a couple of guys in their division and they continue to do it making the whole organization look bad

 

They should've kept him and made him fight Koreshkov for the belt. He was on a good streak for bellator.

 

Never heard of either one of them.

 

They shouldn't have cut him but man, Honeycutt fight aside, when Paul Bradley wins its usually done in the most boring way ever. The guys fights define lay and pray.

 

I'm pretty sure they were planning on cutting him regardless.

 

Bradley has probably the worst main event in Bellator history in his resume, Bradley vs Neer. Bellator wasn't going to keep him around. He just happened to be an enhancement talent who killed one of their prospects. Unlike other fighters who fucked up Bellator's prospects and managed to stick around (e.g. Emanuel Newton), Bradley doesn't have that fan-friendly style or marketability Coker lusts over.

Anyways, I don't really care. Only thing I'll remember about him is that he kinda looked like a WW Eric Pringles. His fights kind of sucked, good riddance.

 

He's probably spot on. Honeycutt was being primed, wouldn't be too shocked to see Joe Taimanglo mysteriously released when his contract expires.

 

Yeah it makes no sense to cut a guy who just KO'd a hue prospect in 30 seconds lmao.

If UFC ever cut someone in a win streak people would never shut the fuck up about it, Bellator shouldn't get a pass.

 

Bellator's WW division has more exciting options for contenders (Lima, MVP, Gonzalez). Bantamweight........not so much. Taimanglo can sometimes be exciting so that puts him above Bradley in terms of staying with Bellator. Dantas vs Taimanglo is sure to happen.

 

he's not the first person to be in a promotion's doghouse because he won a fight he wasn't suppose to.

nor will he be the last.