Paul Craig will look to continue his journey up the middleweight ladder at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event, where’s he’s scheduled to make his sophomore outing in the division.
Prior to this year, Craig had plied his trade up at light heavyweight, where wins over the likes of former champion Jamahal Hill, Magomed Ankalaev, and Nikita Krylov saw him cement a spot inside the divisional top 10.
But after consecutive losses to Volkan Oezdemir and Johnny Walker, “Bearjew” made a change. Following a successful test cut, the Scotsman officially dropped to middleweight, impressing in his debut at the lower weight by finishing André Muniz in London this past July.
And as he gears up to shoot for a spot inside the top 10 against the in-form Brendan Allen in Saturday’s main event, Craig has outlined the advantages he has over other contenders at 185 pounds.
Craig: ‘My Skillset Is Different From Anybody Else In The Division’
During his appearance at media day on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event at the Apex in Las Vegas, Craig stated that his physical condition and feeling down at middleweight is even better second time around.
And with that in mind, he expects to capitalize on the strengths that set him apart from others competing in the weight class, including Allen.
“My experience of dealing with big, heavy strikers (and) heavy grapplers is through the roof. I think that’s what sets me apart,” Craig said. “I’ve hung with these guys (top light heavyweights)… I believe my skillset against these guys is different from anybody else in the division.
“That ability to pull a submission or that ability to lay heavy ground-and-pound to win a fight is what makes me different from all the other middleweights,” Craig added.
Craig will hope to prove his words correct come fight night on Saturday, when he’s tasked with bringing an end to Allen’s five-fight winning run, which also includes a finish of Muniz.
Should “Bearjew” emerge victorious, he’ll be a step closer to forcing those towards the top of the middleweight ladder to deal with his elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu inside the Octagon.
It wouldn't be a @PaulCraig fight without his signature face paint! 🏴#UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/VljKJJ86SH
— UFC (@ufc) November 16, 2023
- Read Also: Ranked Fighter Explains Why Brendan Allen Will ‘Beat The Sh*t Out Of Paul Craig’ In UFC Fight Night Main Event
