Tag: Paul Craig

Craig Names What Means More To Him In MMA Than The Title

UFC light heavyweight contender Paul Craig is targeting a legacy that extends beyond title glory inside the Octagon. Craig is currently in the best form of his career on MMA’s biggest stage to date. Since a 2-5 run, which included defeats to Jimm…

UFC light heavyweight contender Paul Craig is targeting a legacy that extends beyond title glory inside the Octagon. Craig is currently in the best form of his career on MMA’s biggest stage to date. Since a 2-5 run, which included defeats to Jimmy Crute and Alonzo Menifield, the Scotsman has gone 5-0-1, with the only…

Continue Reading Craig Names What Means More To Him In MMA Than The Title at MMA News.

Video – Paul Craig, Volkan Oezdemir Separated Following UFC London Weigh-In Altercation

UFC LondonAhead of their UFC London main card opener, surging light heavyweight contender, Paul Craig, and one-time division title challenger, Volkan Oezdemir required corralling by UFC officials and security – with the former forcing a close engagement at the ceremonial weigh-ins.  Craig, who enters tomorrow’s matchup off the back of a rallying first round triangle submission […]

UFC London

Ahead of their UFC London main card opener, surging light heavyweight contender, Paul Craig, and one-time division title challenger, Volkan Oezdemir required corralling by UFC officials and security – with the former forcing a close engagement at the ceremonial weigh-ins. 

Craig, who enters tomorrow’s matchup off the back of a rallying first round triangle submission win over Nikita Krylov – donning his usual Scottish-themed face paint, wasted no time closing the distance with the Swiss native, with Mick Maynard doing his best to prevent a physical altercation.

Tensions between highly-touted flyweight prospects, Muhammad Mokaev, and Charles Johnson also reached and exceeded boiling point this Friday during today’s ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of UFC London – with matchmaker, Maynard separating the two following notable physical contact.

Mokaev, who debuted in the UFC back in March at the first edition of UFC London this year, landed in the promotion with a stunning first round guillotine win against Cody Durden in quickfire fashion.

UFC London lands with a 14 fight card tomorrow at The O2 Arena in the capital

As for Johnson, this weekend’s O2 Arena event will come as the LFA staple’s organizational bow.

However, ahead of the preliminary card matchup, tensions between the two rose across social media over the course of the week, with Mokaev receiving flak from Johnson as he posed with an AK 47 while seated in his car, in a bid to hype up to their fight.

As a result, Johnson, who had taken severe umbrage with Mokaev’s photo posted on social media, leaked a lengthy and tense direct message exchange with the highly-touted Mokaev. 

Noting his dislike for main card opponent, Jordan Leavitt ahead of the capital showcase, polarizing lightweight prospect, Paddy Pimblett – who had claimed that he would rearrange the face of the Las Vegas native on Saturday, smiled cordially with Leavitt before embracing the London crowd to boot.

The 11 Best British MMA Fighters Of All Time

Some of the best British MMA fighters will be on display when the UFC returns to London this weekend. A proud fighting nation, the UK has for years produced scores of talented fighters who’ve made an immense impact on the MMA world. Let’s t…

Some of the best British MMA fighters will be on display when the UFC returns to London this weekend. A proud fighting nation, the UK has for years produced scores of talented fighters who’ve made an immense impact on the MMA world. Let’s take a look at the 11 best British MMA fighters of all…

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Paul Craig vs. Volkan Oezdemir Added To UFC London Card On July 23

The upcoming UFC London card has had another bout confirmed, this time featuring light heavyweight contenders Paul Craig and Volkan Oezdemir. After an incredibly successful UK trip earlier this year, the MMA leader is heading back across the Atlantic for another dose of England’s capital on July 23. Joining Tom Aspinall, Molly McCann, and Muhammad…

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The upcoming UFC London card has had another bout confirmed, this time featuring light heavyweight contenders Paul Craig and Volkan Oezdemir.

After an incredibly successful UK trip earlier this year, the MMA leader is heading back across the Atlantic for another dose of England’s capital on July 23. Joining Tom Aspinall, Molly McCann, and Muhammad Mokaev as a returning victor will be Craig.

Per Mirror Fighting, the Scotsman will meet fellow European veteran Oezdemir inside The O2 in London this summer.

When he brings his top-notch Brazilian jiu-jitsu back in front of the UK crowd again, Craig (16-4-1) will be looking to replicate his past three fights in London, which saw him collect a trio of triangle-choke submissions.

As well as one victory in the city under the BAMMA banner in 2015, “Bearjew” has collected a pair of tap-out wins against Magomed Ankalaev and Nikita Krylov. While his triumph over the Dagestani came with one second left on the clock, Craig’s latest success against Krylov came in the opening round after he looked close to being ground-and-pounded to a stoppage loss.

Having now risen to #8 on the light heavyweight ladder courtesy of four consecutive wins, Craig will be looking to continue his ascent towards gold by adding the name of a former title challenger to his résumé.

But looking to spoil the party for Craig’s home crowd will be Oezdemir (17-6). The Swiss 205lber is in desperate need of a victory having been brutally knocked out by Ji?í Procházka and dominated by Ankalaev in his last two outings. His prior result, a split decision win against Aleksandar Raki?, was also highly controversial.

Having slipped to #9 in the rankings, “No Time” is ironically beginning to run out of time if he wants to mount another charge towards the belt. While he’ll be looking to rebound at this year’s second edition of UFC London, Craig will be hoping to further cement his position as a bonafide contender in the division.

The fights currently expected to take place at UFC London on July 23 are as follows:

Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes (heavyweight main event)

Darren Till vs. Jack Hermansson (middleweight)

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Nikita Krylov (light heavyweight)

Molly McCann vs. Hannah Goldy (women’s flyweight)

Paul Craig vs. Volkan Oezdemir (light heavyweight)

Muhammad Mokaev vs. Charles Johnson (flyweight)

Mandy Böhm vs. Victoria Leonardo (women’s flyweight)

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Paul Craig or Volkan Oezdemir?

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Paul Craig Explains Who He Wants To Take The LHW Gold From

Paul Craig has a plan for winning his first UFC title. The UFC light heavyweight division is beginning to heat up. With a new champion at the top who is ready for his first title defense, the top fighters in the division will need to show their best. One man who is making waves and…

Continue Reading Paul Craig Explains Who He Wants To Take The LHW Gold From at MMA News.

Paul Craig has a plan for winning his first UFC title.

The UFC light heavyweight division is beginning to heat up. With a new champion at the top who is ready for his first title defense, the top fighters in the division will need to show their best.

One man who is making waves and trending up the rankings is Paul Craig. Craig believes he will be the UFC light heavyweight champion one day and has a pretty good idea of who he wants to take that title from.

“I do believe Ankalaev has got what it takes to beat him (Teixeira),” Paul explained to MMA Fighting. “We’ve seen his fight (against Thiago Santos) where he went five rounds, barely come out the first gear. That’s the guy I want to take the title. Because then, once he gets that title, I can say, ‘Hey, I know a guy that beat you with a second to spare.’ And that’s the story that I would love to have. Him win the title and me take the title off him, and be the first Scottish and the second UK champion.”

Craig believes Magomed Ankalaev will be the man to dethrone the champion, Glover Texeira. Ankalaev is coming off a big win over Thiago Santos in a headlining spot at UFC Vegas 50. He showed that he is a force in the division and has since risen to the number four spot in the division. Also on the rise in the division is Craig.

Craig came into the UFC back in 2016 and immediately showed his skills on the ground. His early days with the UFC were a mix of wins and losses but most recently he has only been winning. He now has four wins in a row and has found himself in the top ten. Craig is one of the most exciting fighters in the division shown by winning a performance bonus in all his UFC wins but one.

Texeira will be taking on Ji?í Procházka at UFC 275, but the winner of that fight could find themselves facing Ankalaev next or very soon. Due to Ankalaev’s one and only loss coming from Craig, that bout could be a very intriguing matchup, especially for the belt.

Do you think Paul Craig has what it takes to become UFC champion one day?

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Paul Craig Walks Back 2022 Retirement Plan: I’m Here For The Long Haul

UFC light heavyweight contender Paul Craig no longer has one eye on a 2022 retirement, claiming he’s now “here for the long haul.” At the start of the year, Craig, who’s currently ranked #11 at 205 pounds and unbeaten in his last five fights, surprised fans and pundits by laying out a retirement plan that…

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UFC light heavyweight contender Paul Craig no longer has one eye on a 2022 retirement, claiming he’s now “here for the long haul.”

At the start of the year, Craig, who’s currently ranked #11 at 205 pounds and unbeaten in his last five fights, surprised fans and pundits by laying out a retirement plan that culminated at his 35th birthday in November.

The Scotsman, who had a string of bad luck when it came to fights falling through late last year, cited his hopes to avoid unnecessary damage as the reason for his relatively early desired exit from the sport.

However, as Craig gets set for his first appearance of 2022 and since a brutal victory over Jamahal Hill last June, he’s provided a positive update for those hoping to see a lot more of him inside the Octagon.

Paul Craig Jamahal Hill
(via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

Speaking to BT Sport’s Nick Peet ahead of this Saturday’s UFC London card, “Bearjew” agreed to extend his retirement plan by two years. He named the pursuit of light heavyweight gold as the reason for his change of heart.

“Let’s do it. Let’s add two years,” said Craig. “You know what changes people’s minds? There’s a few things in life that will change people’s minds. One of them is a sniff of gold, a gold rush. So I’ve got a gold fever and I’m here for the long haul. The other thing is women. If a woman decides you’re not retiring, then you’re working. So there’s two factors that stop people from retiring. One of them is definitely in my mind at the moment.”

Discussing the open landscape of the light heavyweight division, Craig suggested he’s got a newfound appetite for rising the ranks and joining the likes of Jan Blachowicz, Magomed Ankalaev, and Ji?í Procházka in contention.

“It’s getting that gold. The light heavyweight division is moving so quickly,” noted Craig. “We’ve got guys like Jan, who just lost the belt to Glover (Teixeira). Glover’s 42. People believe they can beat him. Ji?í Procházka believes he can beat him. So we’ve got that fight happening, we’ve got Ankalaev, who won at the weekend, he’s looking for that gold.

“This is one of the most exciting divisions because we’ve not got somebody like Kamaru Usman,” Craig continued. “You’ve got divisions where the champ stays there and it’s very, very hard to dethrone them. In this division, the champ can be there and he can be there for six months and he’s gone. I’m excited to be part of this.”

Paul Craig’s Path To Gold Starts At UFC London

Seemingly possessing a fresh motivation and sense of ambition, Craig’s targeted march towards Teixeira’s throne will begin this weekend at UFC London.

The Airdrie, Scotland native has fond memories of England’s capital. In his last visit, he submitted Ankalaev with a final-second triangle choke, a victory he described this week as “life-changing.”

He’ll hope for a similarly memorable result when he shares the Octagon with Nikita Krylov inside London’s O2 Arena on March 19.

He further told BT Sport that in order to break through into the group of elite, he must beat “The Minor” convincingly.

“This fight with Krylov, I’m just outside the top 10, I believe I have put in my work, I believe I have done the hard work, I’ve done the unbeaten fighters, I’ve done the guys who the UFC expect to be pushed, like Jamahal Hill… I want to be that. I want to get that push. I want to get higher, into that top five. I want to beat Krylov convincingly.

“I want to be in that top five and I want to be in that mention of, ‘Ankalaev’s close to the title, Procházka’s close to the title, what about Paul Craig? I’m excited to see what a jiu-jitsu practitioner can do in that top five.’ That’s what I want,” Craig concluded.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London this weekend, Paul Craig or Nikita Krylov?

Continue Reading Paul Craig Walks Back 2022 Retirement Plan: I’m Here For The Long Haul at MMA News.