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Paul Craig Is All About Chasing Gold
In His First Main Event, Paul Craig Hopes To Establish Himself As A Middleweight Title Contender At UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig
After an up-and-down start to his UFC tenure, Paul Craig found his groove and cemented himself in the Top 15 of the light heavyweight division for the better part of the last few years. A six-fight unbeaten streak, which included a submission win over former champion Jamahal Hill, had him on the precipice of entering the title conversation until two untimely losses to Volkan Oezdemir and Johnny Walker left “BearJew” with a choice to make. Despite accumulating the second-most submissions in the division’s history, Craig, at 35 years of age, elected to move down 20 pounds to test the middleweight waters.
He aptly made his presence felt when he picked up a TKO win over fellow jiu jitsu ace André Muniz at UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs Tybura. The victory propelled him to his first career main event, to which he credits his move to 185 for making that a reality after seven years spent in the organization.
“If you want to be a title contender, then you need to make waves in the river,” Craig told UFC.com. “You need to create splashes, and that’s what I think I need to do in this fight. My move to middleweight, I created a splash. People were like, ‘Paul Craig can strike. Paul Craig looks good as a middleweight. Paul Craig can also have some heavy ground-and-pound.’ I need to do the same here because, if I can’t do that, then I can’t be in the Top 10, and if I can’t be in the Top 10, then I can’t get close to being a title contender.”
Craig made the move down mindfully, doing a pair of “test cuts” – one in Las Vegas and one at home – before doing it for real in London. The Scotsman told UFC’s McKenzie Pavacich after the fight that the cut went as well as he could’ve hoped and now acts as his template for every cut.
It’s not common practice for an older fighter to move down a weight class – although fighters like Jose Aldo and Edson Barboza recently managed the drop with success – and Craig acknowledged the concerns of a 35-year-old (soon to be 36 at the end of November) making the move.
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He now feels like a “healthier fighter” than he was when he cut a few pounds to make the light heavyweight limit and appreciates small things like rice cakes and Nutella much more. Against Muniz, Craig felt more physically imposing, faster and able to throw his weight around efficiently after rehydrating. With that all in mind, it begs the question of whether Craig should’ve made the move earlier, but hindsight instead brings Craig reassurance.
“The answer is, ‘No,’” Craig said of moving to middleweight sooner. “I had to cut my teeth as a light heavyweight. I had to get the experience of knowing what my body is like, how to manipulate it, and it’s only been becoming a grown-up that I can understand my body, that I can understand, ‘Can I make this weight? Yep. Are you a bit more focused being that a little more older? Definitely.’ Your time in this sport reduces, so you need to make sure you’re focused in, so maybe a 20-year-old Paul, a 25-year-old Paul wouldn’t have had the commitment, the dedication as a 35-year-old Paul.”
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Against Allen, Craig faces a fellow submission artist, but one who is eight years his junior. Craig complimented Allen’s grappling skills, but, like his matchup with Muniz, believes the difference in this bout will come in the standup game.
Paul Craig Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig
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Paul Craig Fight Week Interview | UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig
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Distance management is on Craig’s mind when thinking of how to control the fight and find his path to a finish, but he also understands that anyone with a number next to their name is a tall task.
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“There’s nobody in the Top 10 of any division where you’re going, ‘Ah, he’s easy,’” he said. “All these fights are going to be difficult, but it’s about: are you prepared for it? Have you done the best camp? Is your gameplan up to standard? That’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Even though Craig is focused on Allen, he also has his eyes set on a trio of fights in 2024 that will ideally have him on the edge of the title picture at 185 pounds. With current champ Sean Strickland set to defend his belt against Dricus Du Plessis, and the division’s former king Israel Adesanya on an extended hiatus, there is just enough chaos in the division to provide a ladder for Craig.
First thing, though, comes the task of ousting a hungry and established contender. For all his accomplishments, Craig wants to make a real run at UFC gold starting with a main event victory on November 18.
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“For me, the journey is about getting close to that title,” he said. “It’s not about being a fighter. I love being a fighter, and I love all the positives and negatives that come with being a fighter, but it needs to be about getting gold. It needs to be about getting the best version of you that you can be on that day.”
Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prelims start at 2pm ET/11am PT, while the main card kicks off at 5pm ET/2pm PT.
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