Fighting in front of Donald Trump? Naw, that’s not cool. Fighting in front of Spider-Man? Now that’s f*cking cool.
Determined to climb back into the win column after coming up short in back-to-back bouts against Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho, Scottish standout Paul Craig will face another tough test when he meets three-time NCAA Division I national champion and undefeated mixed martial artist Bo Nickal.
Craig and Nickal will square off as part of a UFC 309 main card headlined by a long-awaited heavyweight title tilt between undisputed champion Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic.
Recently, Nickal suggested that president-elect Trump would be in attendance this Saturday when the promotion makes its annual pit stop in Madison Square Garden. Trump has been known to attend UFC events when they take place in either New York or New Jersey and has become quite enamored with Nickal in recent years, leading to speculation that Trump may show up in NYC to take in the action and celebrate his improbable re-election.
Whether Trump shows or not makes no difference to Craig. Afterall, he’s already had the pleasure of putting on a show for everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and that’s far cooler than competing against a 34-time convicted felon.
“He’s not my president — he’s the President of America,” Craig told BBC Sport Scotland. “I was more excited about getting the opportunity to fight in front of Spiderman in London, [actor] Tom Holland.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in that crowd. You’ve just got a job to do. You’ve got to handle your business and that’s what I’m looking to do. But I guess when you think about it, one of the most powerful people in the world sitting in the crowd, watching you at ringside. It’s kind of cool and it’s one of these stories you can tell your kids or grandkids when you’re older.”
Paul Craig ready to handle business against trump’s boy bo nickal in mSG
After losing three of his last four fights, Paul Craig realizes that getting a middleweight title opportunity, or even a spot in the division’s top 10 is a pretty tall ask.
Instead, he’s focused on stunning the former Nittany Lion and earning a spot on the UFC’s London card in March 2025.
“The championship is slightly further out of reach and the top ten, it’s just out of reach,” he said. “So then it becomes less about them and more about right, I want these ‘Oh my God’ moments. I want these fights that get me excited. I want to walk out in places like Madison Square Garden.
“Right now it’s all about getting Bo Nickal, handling my business, and then looking forward to potentially fighting in London.
