Paul Daley, Scott Smith added to Strikeforce event in December

By Brett Okamoto

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010 | 1:58 p.m.

A welterweight matchup between Paul Daley and Scott Smith has been added to the Strikeforce event on Dec. 4 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

Strikeforce officials released the news Wednesday afternoon.

Daley (25-9-2) will be competing under the Strikeforce for just the second time of his career.

The British striker was one fight away from earning a title shot in the UFC organization earlier this year, but was cut after throwing a cheap shot at current No. 1 contender Josh Koscheck following their fight in May.

Following his dismissal, Daley posted back-to-back wins over Daniel Acacio and Jorge Masvidal to catch the eye of Strikeforce. Earlier this month, Daley and the promotional company agreed to a multi-fight deal.

Although Daley wasted no time in calling out current 170-pound champion Nick Diaz, he’ll have to go through Smith first.

For Smith (17-7), the bout will be his first since suffering a second-round knockout loss to Cung Le in June.

The California-based fighter is looking to rebound from losses in two of his last three fights, the other to Diaz in June 2009.

Despite enduring a tough patch in his career, Smith remains a fan favorite due to his aggressive style of fighting — one that should be matched by Daley on Dec. 4.

“Everyone knows I detest decisions,” said Smith in a released statement. “Fans want action all the time and so do I. That’s what I’m about.”

The Dec. 4 Strikeforce event will be headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between Dan Henderson and Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral. The event will be aired on Showtime.

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at LVSunFighting