Athletes
Paul Craig | Back With A Vengeance
Scotland's Paul Craig Returns To Light Heavyweight To Face Rodolfo Bellato In The Co-Main Event At UFC Fight Night: Burns vs Morales On May 17
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on May 16. Craig's fight vs Rodolfo Bellato has since been rescheduled for UFC Atlanta Saturday, June 14.
Being a veteran in the UFC holds significant weight when it comes to what it means to be a fighter, and Paul Craig is no different.
With multiple records broken, and a hunger to prove that he has more to show, Craig finds himself in a peculiar situation. After a fight against Bo Nickal at middleweight that did not end his way, Craig made the decision to move back up to light heavyweight, the same division that is now ruled by Magomed Ankalaev.
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It's not a coincidence that the only loss of Ankalaev’s career came at the hands of Craig. In the dying moments of the third round of their 2018 bout, Craig found a late triangle choke that handed Ankalaev a defeat at 4:59 of the final stanza. Craig plans to take advantage of that fact he is the only man to stop the new champion.
“The move up to light heavyweight also brings the fact that I am the only fighter in the UFC roster that has a victory over Magomed Ankalaev and what that does now is that is a queue skip. We’re going to use that after a few fights, get a few victories, build our brand back up, get me in that top five and look for title contention.”
Craig is currently on a three-fight skid but aims to regain that spark that made him a threat in the UFC for so long. That mainly involves his patented submission game. Craig has been in the Octagon with some of the best, scoring notable finishes over Jamahal Hill, Magomed Ankalaev, and Jimmy Crute, proving that he has the ability to end anyone’s night.
There are not many fighters that compare to Craig when looking from a historical view, either, with the Scotland native having a very distinguished UFC career already. Statistically speaking, Craig is ranked top 5 for finishes at light heavyweight and one away from tying Glover Teixeira for most submission wins at 205 pounds. A division Craig has seen the most success in is the perfect change of scenery needed to return to his top form. Craig is also ranked 5th for total fight night bonuses for light heavyweights, ranked 9th in submission average per 15 minutes at 1.68, and for active light heavyweights, he is ranked 1st in submission wins.
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The threat of the jiu-jitsu game is ever present, and Craig understands that going into this weekend as he faces off against Rodolfo Bellato. His opponent is coming off a draw with Crute just three months ago. That would make two total fights in the UFC for Bellato and he is still very new in the UFC. Craig has more submission wins than Bellato has total fights, and that experience should assist Craig in his search for a win this weekend. Craig believes he can harness this experience and use it to his advantage,
“I do believe I am the old bull in this fight, and he is the young buck. I’ve had 20 fights in the UFC, it’s a long career I’ve had. I do believe there is a little bit left in me for this last push. I do think that is what is going to set me apart in this fight.”
Paul Craig | Top Finishes
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Paul Craig | Top Finishes
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Experience is king in the UFC and with only two fights, it does poise a question if Bellato can keep up with someone that has been so active inside the Octagon. 20 fights are no joke, and Craig knows the dangerous aspect of this fight.
“(Bellato has) Very good striking, moves forward, but footwork is not the best.” Craig claims, “I believe that is where I get these advantages, using my footwork and using my speed to get away from him and get into better positions.”
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Whether those positions are on the feet or on the ground, Craig is ready to implement some of the training he has put in this fight camp.
“I have got some striking, and the more time I have on the mat and the Octagon, the better that’s getting, and I’m getting to showcase it more. In an ideal situation for my 20th fight in the UFC, I would love to have a knockout in my record – just one walk-away knockout like something you see in these highlight reels.”
Craig is known to be a submission artist, and he does well when it comes to the grappling side of MMA. With stoppages of Jamahal Hill and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, there is hope for his wish of a walk-away knockout. The biggest determinant of this bout is whether Craig can stick to the gameplan and drag Bellato into deep waters. Moving on from his last bout, Craig knows what he must focus on,
“We need to go forward more, we need to be more aggressive, and we need to rely on the wrestling. I have a very good wrestling background so I need to rely on that to take my opponents to the ground so that I can utilize my jiu-jitsu.”
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The best way to implement the wrestling and jiu-jitsu game is to earn respect while standing. That means to throw meaningful punches with harmful intent. This is how Craig can swing the tide of this bout into his favor as he simultaneously looks for the flashy knockout and aims to break another record with a submission. With the ability to threaten in all facets of the game, Craig will see success early and often.
Great fighters don’t dwell on the past, instead they use the lessons learned and put it immediately into practice. Craig is aiming to compile all the lessons learned and focus all his efforts into this new light heavyweight run. Don’t blink now, but Paul Craig is back.
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