Tag: Paul Craig

Ankalaev On 2018 Craig Loss: “Look Where He Is & Look Where I Am”

Ahead of his first UFC main event, light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev has dismissively looked back on his sole defeat in professional MMA. Since joining the UFC in 2018, a signing that came after he’d amassed a 9-0 record across various Russian promotions, Ankalaev has established himself as one of the fastest rising and most promising…

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Ahead of his first UFC main event, light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev has dismissively looked back on his sole defeat in professional MMA.

Since joining the UFC in 2018, a signing that came after he’d amassed a 9-0 record across various Russian promotions, Ankalaev has established himself as one of the fastest rising and most promising contenders in the promotion.

But while he’s defeated the likes of Volkan Oezdemir, Nikita Krylov, and Ion Cu?elaba in recent times, the Dagestani’s stint in the UFC didn’t get off to the best start.

Ankalaev made his debut against Scotland’s Craig at a UFC Fight Night held at London, England’s O2 Arena. Until the final second of the fight, “Bearjew” was on his way to a third straight loss. But with one second on the clock, he secured victory with a clutch triangle choke submission.

During a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, the topic of Ankalaev’s only setback in the sport came up. Judging by his answer, the 29-year-old is clearly not too bothered about the blemish on his record.

Claiming he’d forgotten all about it, Ankalaev suggested the defeat means nothing given the pair’s current standings in the division.

“Until you brought it up, I hadn’t thought about it in a very long time,” Ankalaev said. “I had forgotten all about it. I’m not thinking about Paul Craig or worried about him at all. Look where he is and look where I am.”

Ankalaev & Craig Hope To Extend Their Win Streaks This Month

While March 2018 saw the pair share the cage, March 2022 will see both Ankalaev and Craig look to climb further up the light heavyweight ladder in separate clashes.

The Scotsman, who is riding a three-fight win streak that features victories over Jamahal Hill, Shogun Rua, and Gadzhimurad Antigulov, will return to UK turf on March 19 to face top-10 contender Krylov.

Ankalaev, meanwhile, is set to enter the main event spotlight at this weekend’s UFC Vegas 50 event. In his way of a place in the 205-pound top five and title contention will be Thiago Santos, a 22-fight UFC veteran who challenged Jon Jones for gold back in 2019.

With the winner likely only one victory away from securing a date with the champion, this weekend’s main event certainly has a lot at stake. Ankalaev will hope to make an impact as he looks to surge into the group of elites at 205 pounds.

Do you see Magomed Ankalaev as a future UFC light heavyweight champion?

Continue Reading Ankalaev On 2018 Craig Loss: “Look Where He Is & Look Where I Am” at MMA News.

Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov Added To UFC London On March 19

A clash of ranked light heavyweight contenders has been booked for the UFC’s return to England’s capital. The promotion has announced that a fight between the #9-ranked Nikita Krylov (26-8) and the #11-ranked Paul Craig (15-4-1) has been added to a stacked UFC London card, set to go down inside the city’s O2 Arena on […]

Continue Reading Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov Added To UFC London On March 19 at MMA News.

A clash of ranked light heavyweight contenders has been booked for the UFC’s return to England’s capital.

The promotion has announced that a fight between the #9-ranked Nikita Krylov (26-8) and the #11-ranked Paul Craig (15-4-1) has been added to a stacked UFC London card, set to go down inside the city’s O2 Arena on March 19.

Returning to fight in the UK for the first time since his 2018 triangle choke submission victory over Magomed Ankalaev, Scotland’s Craig will be hoping to continue his rise towards contention by extending his win streak to four at UFC London.

Since a knockout loss to powerhouse Alonzo Menifield in 2019, “Bearjew” has found the form of his life. After returning to the win column against Vinicius Moreira, Craig fought to a split draw against Maurício Rua, before securing a wins against Gadzhimurad Antigulov, “Shogun,” and, most recently, Jamahal Hill.

Craig jumped towards the top 10 last time out by brutally dislocating the elbow of the previously-unbeaten Hill at UFC 263 in June. After failed matchups with Alexander Gustafsson in September and Krylov in December prevented a second appearance in 2021, the Scot will look to continue his winning ways against the latter in their re-arranged bout in less than two months’ time.

Joining the likes of Alexander Volkov, Dan Hooker, Timur Valiev, and Makwan Amirkhani as one of the international athletes hoping to spoil a homecoming at UFC London will be Ukraine’s Krylov. “The Minor” has exchanged wins and losses in his last five appearances.

While he fell to defeats against former champion Jan Blachowicz, reigning light heavyweight king Glover Teixeira, and Ankalaev, the 29-year-old had his hand raised versus Ovince Saint Preux and Johnny Walker.

While Krylov will be looking to rebound from his defeat to Ankalaev last February, Craig will need to find success at UFC London if he hopes to uphold his desire of a late push up the rankings and potential retirement by the end of the year.

Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:

Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)

Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)

Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov (light heavyweight)

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)

Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)

Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)

Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento (flyweight)

Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

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

Continue Reading Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov Added To UFC London On March 19 at MMA News.

Paul Craig Reveals November 2022 Retirement Plan

Despite his form and rise up the light heavyweight division, Paul Craig is staying firm on his plan to hang up his gloves before he turns 35 in November.

Since a knockout loss to Alonzo Menifield in 2019, a setback that left him 3-4 in the UFC, Cra…

Paul Craig

Despite his form and rise up the light heavyweight division, Paul Craig is staying firm on his plan to hang up his gloves before he turns 35 in November.

Since a knockout loss to Alonzo Menifield in 2019, a setback that left him 3-4 in the UFC, Craig has found the form of his life. In his last five fights, the Scot has gone 4-0-1. Aside from a split draw against Mauricio Rua, “Bearjew” has recorded wins over Vinicius Moreira, Gadzhimurad Antigulov, Jamahal Hill, and defeated Rua in their rematch.

In his most recent appearance, Craig surged to just one spot outside the 205-pound top 10 by becoming the first blemish on Hill’s record. The surging prospect had been on a tear prior to his clash with the 34-year-old, but that came to an end in brutal fashion.

At UFC 263, Craig forced Hill to the ground and inflicted a gruesome injury after locking in a tight armbar. After a dislocated elbow apparently wasn’t enough for the referee to step in, Craig unleashed an onslaught of punches and elbows to bring the TKO finish.

Craig Staying True To “Deal” He Made With Himself

Since his Performance of the Night-worthy victory last summer, Paul Craig has had a frustratingly-long layoff. The #11-ranked contender was initially set to face two-time title challenger Alexander Gustafsson in London. After the Swede got injured and the card moved to America, Craig opted to wait for the matchup to be re-booked.

With Gustafsson still out late last year, the UFC booked Craig against top-10 light heavyweight Nikita Krylov. This time, the issue was on the Scot’s end. That fight fell through after he was unable to obtain a visa to travel to the US in time.

Despite a one-fight 2021 and back-to-back canceled fights, Craig has not altered his retirement plans. Speaking to Sky Sports, “Bearjew” revealed he’s still hoping to call time on his career before he turns 35. To meet that target, the 34-year-old will have just 11 months to make his final impact in the UFC.

“I’m 34 years old. I’m losing my hair. I made this kind of deal with myself that I’d like to get to 35. That’s my number and I’ve only got a year left on that… Last year was a nightmare with everything that happened. But I’m still kind of firm on that number of 35. I just don’t see the point of taking damage, for not being at my best.”

Craig’s revelation comes in a division where age truly seems to be just a number. With a champion over 40 and the most recent former titleholder just about on the younger side of it, it’s perhaps surprising Craig is considering retiring so soon. However, the Airdrie native won’t let himself become another exploited past-his-prime fighter.

“We’ve got Jan Blachowicz (ex-champion) who’s 38. We’ve got the new champion (Glover Teixeira) who’s 42. But I don’t want to be the guy who’s being used. I’ve used people, used their fame, but I don’t want to be the person being used. But… you ask my coach, you ask my family, they’ll probably tell you I’m fighting until I’m 42.”

Despite having one eye on a future beyond active MMA competition, Craig’s hunger and drive to enter the Octagon has clearly not dwindled, and he’s looking ahead to his return to action in 2022. The submission specialist believes he could be fighting in March, likely on the UFC Fight Night card targeted for London, England.

“I love fighting. I love the fear of the unknown. I love the walkout, the music. I love it, win, lose or draw, the pageantry that goes along with MMA. It’s going to be March. There’s rumblings that it’s potentially going to be London.”

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While it would be disappointing to see Craig say farewell to the sport this year, it’s always good to see fighters prioritize their health and wellbeing. That’s especially true when we’ve seen many legends continue throwing down in the Octagon when their time appeared to have been up long before.

Would you like to see Paul Craig continue fighting beyond 2022?

Continue Reading Paul Craig Reveals November 2022 Retirement Plan at MMA News.

Jamahal Hill Moving On From Brutal Arm Injury Against Paul Craig

UFC light heavyweight Jamahal Hill is looking forward to getting back in the Octagon after suffering a nasty arm injury against Paul Craig.

Hill’s fight against Craig at UFC 263 ended early during a chaotic grappling exchange just two minutes into …

Jamahal Hill

UFC light heavyweight Jamahal Hill is looking forward to getting back in the Octagon after suffering a nasty arm injury against Paul Craig.

Hill’s fight against Craig at UFC 263 ended early during a chaotic grappling exchange just two minutes into the first round. After Hill’s arm appeared to snap, Craig poured it on with nasty ground-and-pound to finish the bout.

The entire UFC and MMA community feared the worst as they watched Hill’s arm snap, but remarkably he was able to recover quickly and will face Jimmy Crute at UFC Vegas 44. It’s a massive fight for the division, and the winner could become the dark horse at 205 pounds.

During a recent interview with MMA News’ James Lynch, Hill described the moment he knew his arm was compromised at UFC 263 and his immediate frustration with the stoppage, before ultimately realizing he suffered a devastating injury.

Jamahal Hill Faces Jimmy Crute At UFC Vegas 44

“I don’t care about it. It is what it is,” Hill said. “I was the one in there. If I’m outside looking and it’s one of my guys, somebody that I’m watching, I probably would agree with everybody else. But I was in there. I wanted to fight. I didn’t even know my arm was dislocated. I was trying to win. I saw it, and then I’m like, ‘Oh, shit, now I gotta finish him before anybody see it, before he notices.”

Hill’s loss to Craig was the first of his largely impressive UFC tenure. He’s earned a stoppage win over the likes of Ovince St. Preux and Darko Stosic after garnering the attention of UFC president Dana White on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Hill will face a tough test in Crute, who coincidentally suffered a nasty injury of his own against Anthony Smith at UFC 261. Both men have a lot to gain in their returns to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 44.

Do you think Jamahal Hill could be a UFC light heavyweight champion in the future?

Continue Reading Jamahal Hill Moving On From Brutal Arm Injury Against Paul Craig at MMA News.

Alexander Gustafsson Withdraws From Paul Craig Fight

Alexander GustafssonAlexander Gustafsson has been forced to withdraw from his light-heavyweight return bout scheduled for September 4 according to MMA Junkie. The three-time 205lb title challenger was due to make his eagerly anticipated return to the division against the always-exciting, Paul Craig next month. Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury has prompted Gustafsson to pull out of the […]

Alexander Gustafsson

Alexander Gustafsson has been forced to withdraw from his light-heavyweight return bout scheduled for September 4 according to MMA Junkie.

The three-time 205lb title challenger was due to make his eagerly anticipated return to the division against the always-exciting, Paul Craig next month.

Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury has prompted Gustafsson to pull out of the fight. It remains unclear if Craig will remain on the card against an alternative opponent or if his fight with ‘The Mauler’ will be rescheduled.

Gustafsson appeared to begin a run at title contention in the UFC’s heavyweight division before he was submitted by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum in his divisional debut. Before that, he had lost back-to-back fights against then-champion Jon Jones and top contender Anthony Smith before making the move up in weight.

Craig earned a TKO win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 263 and also dislocated Hill’s arm in the process. He has won four straight bouts with his lone blemish being a split-draw against Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 144. Craig would then dominate Rua in the rematch last November at UFC 255. The Scotsman is currently ranked at #12 in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division.

UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till Full Card

Derek Brunson vs. Darren Till

Paul Craig vs. opponent TBA

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dalcha Lungiambula

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Khalil Rountree

Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcelo Rojorepo

Molly McCann vs. Ji Yeon Kim

Paddy Pimblett vs. Luigi Vendramini

Zviad Lazishvili vs. Jack Shore

Mandy Bohm vs. Ariane Lipski

Sergey Khandozhko vs. David Zawada

Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell

Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich

Charles Jourdain vs. Lerone Murphy

Do you think the UFC will reschedule Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig?

Alexander Gustafsson Will Face Paul Craig at UFC London in September

Alexander GustafssonFormer UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson will make his long-awaited return to the octagon this Fall, when it takes on rising contender Paul Craig at UFC London on September 4. The news first broke by Front Kick, and later in the day, it was reported by BJPenn.com that the card will take place […]

Alexander Gustafsson

Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson will make his long-awaited return to the octagon this Fall, when it takes on rising contender Paul Craig at UFC London on September 4.

The news first broke by Front Kick, and later in the day, it was reported by BJPenn.com that the card will take place in London. A bantamweight matchup between prospects Nathaniel Wood and Jonathan Martinez has also been added to the event.

Gustafsson appeared to begin a run at title contention in the UFC’s heavyweight division before he was submitted by former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum in his divisional debut. Before that, he had lost back-to-back fights against then-champion Jon Jones and top contender Anthony Smith before making the move up in weight.

At 34-years-old, Gustafsson is still in a somewhat prime spot in his career when it comes to his physical performance in the octagon. It’s unusual that a fighter with the experience of Gustafsson would cut weight once again, but he seems primed and ready to accept the challenge.

His opponent will be Craig, who earned a TKO win over Jamahal Hill at UFC 263 and also dislocated Hill’s arm in the process. He has won four straight bouts with his lone blemish being a split-draw against Shogun Rua at UFC Fight Night 144. Craig would then dominate Rua in the rematch last November at UFC 255.

Craig is currently the 12th-ranked UFC light heavyweight contender after the win over Hill, and Gustafsson has a real opportunity to make a splash in his return to his old stomping grounds at 205 pounds.

The event will be the promotion’s first appearance in London since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The UFC originally planned for a Tyron Woodley vs. Leon Edwards fight night in London in March 2020 before the global lockdowns because of the pandemic began.

What are your thoughts on Alexander Gustafsson vs. Paul Craig?