Paul Craig (fighter)

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Paul Craig
Born Paul Lindsey Craig[1]
(1987-11-27) 27 November 1987 (age 36)[2]
Airdrie, Scotland
Other names Bearjew
Nationality Scottish
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Division Light heavyweight
Reach 76 in
Fighting out of Coatbridge, Scotland
Team Scottish Hit Squad
Rank Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Brian Gallacher[3]
Years active 2013–present
Kickboxing record
Total 1
Wins 1
Losses 0
Draws 0
Mixed martial arts record
Total 20
Wins 15
By knockout 2
By submission 13
Losses 4
By knockout 3
By submission 1
Draws 1
Amateur career
Total 8
Wins 8
By submission 8
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Paul Lindsey Craig (born 27 November 1987)[1] is a Scottish mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2013, he formerly competed for BAMMA, where he was the BAMMA World Light Heavyweight Champion. As of June 14, 2021, he is #12 in the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings.[4]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Craig's head coach Brian Gallagher took him from no martial arts experience to 8–0 as an amateur, all first round finishes. As a professional, Craig went 8–0 over the span of four years before being signed by the UFC.

In November 2014 Paul won a K1 rules fight in Germany.[5]

He won the BAMMA World Light heavyweight Championship at BAMMA 23 when he defeated Marcin Lazarz by submission.[6] He was set to defend his title against Chris Fields in Dublin when it was postponed following the death of Portuguese fighter Joao Carvalho. The match up was rescheduled but failed to take place due to Craig damaging his ankle ligaments.[7] Paul's first title defence was not rescheduled, as he signed a 4-fight deal with the UFC.[8]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Craig made his promotional debut against Luis Henrique da Silva on 17 December 2016 at UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson. He won the fight via submission in Round 2,[9] for which he was awarded with a Performance of the Night bonus.[10]

Craig faced Tyson Pedro on 4 March 2017 at UFC 209.[11] He lost the bout via first-round TKO.[12]

Craig faced Khalil Rountree at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio on 16 July 2017.[13] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[14]

Craig faced Magomed Ankalaev on 17 March 2018 at UFC Fight Night 127.[15] He won the fight via submission at 4:59 in Round 3, resulting in the latest submission finish in a 3-round fight in UFC history.[16] He was also awarded with a Performance of the Night bonus.[17]

Following the win against Ankalaev, Craig signed a new, four-fight contract with UFC.[18]

Craig faced promotional newcomer Jimmy Crute on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142.[19] He lost the fight via kimura in the third round.[20]

Craig faced promotional newcomer Kennedy Nzechukwu on 30 March 2019 at UFC on ESPN 2.[21] He won the fight via triangle choke in the third round.[22] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[23]

Craig faced Alonzo Menifield on 29 June 2019 at UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos.[24] He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.[25]

Craig faced Vinicius Moreira on 21 September 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 17.[26] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.[27]> This win earn Craig his fourth Performance of the Night award.[28]

Craig stepped in on short notice against Maurício Rua on 16 November 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 22, replacing Sam Alvey who withdrew from the bout due to a broken hand.[29][30] After three rounds, the back-and-forth fight was declared a split draw.[31]

Craig was expected to face Ryan Spann on 21 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards.[32] However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the event was cancelled.[33]

Craig faced Gadzhimurad Antigulov on 26 July 2020 at UFC on ESPN 14.[34] He won the fight via a triangle choke in round one.[35] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[36]

Craig faced Maurício Rua in a rematch on 21 November 2020 at UFC 255.[37] He won the fight via technical knockout in round two.[38]

Craig was scheduled to face Jamahal Hill on 20 March 2021 UFC on ESPN 21.[39] However on 10 March, Hill withdrew from the bout after testing positive for COVID-19.[40] The pair was reschedule to meet on 12 June 2021 at UFC 263.[41] He won the fight via technical submission in the first round; he dislocated Hill's elbow with an armbar, but Hill did not tap to the submission and the referee stopped the fight after several elbows from Craig.[42] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[43]

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

He competed in the 2015 British Pro Jiu Jitsu Championship, taking 1st place in the Purple Belt 95+ kg Division, qualifying himself to the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship and also 3rd place in the Absolute Purple 75+ kg Division[44]After defeating Jamahal Hill in 2021, Craig was promoted to black belt whilst drinking beers with his coach.[3]

Personal life

Paul played football before becoming an MMA fighter. He also worked as a football coach before becoming a teacher for an educational charity. [45]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 15–4–1 Jamahal Hill Technical Submission (armbar) UFC 263 12 June 2021 1 1:59 Glendale, Arizona, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 14–4–1 Maurício Rua TKO (submission to punches) UFC 255 21 November 2020 2 3:36 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–4–1 Gadzhimurad Antigulov Submission (triangle choke) UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till 26 July 2020 1 2:06 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Performance of the Night.
Draw 12–4–1 Maurício Rua Draw (split) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré 16 November 2019 3 5:00 São Paulo, Brazil
Win 12–4 Vinicius Moreira Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens 21 September 2019 1 3:19 Mexico City, Mexico Performance of the Night.
Loss 11–4 Alonzo Menifield KO (punches) UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos 29 June 2019 1 3:19 Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Win 11–3 Kennedy Nzechukwu Submission (triangle choke) UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje 30 March 2019 3 4:20 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 10–3 Jimmy Crute Submission (kimura) UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa 2 December 2018 3 4:51 Adelaide, Australia
Win 10–2 Magomed Ankalaev Submission (triangle choke) UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov 17 March 2018 3 4:59 London, England Performance of the Night.
Loss 9–2 Khalil Rountree Jr. KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio 16 July 2017 1 4:56 Glasgow, Scotland
Loss 9–1 Tyson Pedro TKO (elbows) UFC 209 4 March 2017 1 4:10 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 9–0 Henrique da Silva Submission (armbar) UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson 17 December 2016 2 1:59 Sacramento, California, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 8–0 Marcin Łazarz Submission (triangle choke) BAMMA 23 14 November 2015 1 3:51 London, England Won the BAMMA World Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 7–0 Karl Moore Submission (guillotine choke) BAMMA 22 19 September 2015 2 0:48 Dublin, Ireland
Win 6–0 Adam Wright Submission (armbar) Animalistic MMA: Rise of the Alpha 20 June 2015 1 0:47 Preston, England
Win 5–0 Andrzej Bachorz Submission (D'Arce choke) FightStar Championship 5 11 April 2015 1 2:37 Coventry, England Won the vacant FightStar Light Heavyweight Championship.
Win 4–0 Dan Konecke TKO (punches) First Fighting Championship: Resurgence 13 September 2014 1 4:18 Hamilton, Scotland
Win 3–0 Jon Ferguson Submission (choke) Full Contact Contender 10 21 June 2014 1 1:50 Bolton, England
Win 2–0 Antonio Braga Submission (triangle choke) Underdog Xtreme Championships 2 1 March 2014 1 2:41 Belfast, Northern Ireland
Win 1–0 Brad Conway Submission (triangle choke) First Fighting Championship 3: Prepare For Glory 24 August 2013 1 2:00 Hamilton, Scotland

[48]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mixed martial arts show results Date: November 21, 2020
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ https://splitdecisionmmauk.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/paul-craig-aiming-for-his-first-pro-title-in-coventry/amp/[bare URL]
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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