Paul Lindsey Craig (born 27 November 1987) is a Scottish mixed martial artist who competes in the

Light heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional competitor since 2013, Craig formerly competed for

BAMMA BAMMA (British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) was a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United Kingdom. It premiered on June 27, 2009, and was shown on the television channel Bravo. BAMMA events were shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ire ...

, where he was the BAMMA World Light Heavyweight Champion. As of January 24, 2023, he is #10 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings.

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, with each of his wins coming via first-round stoppage. As a professional, Craig went 8–0 over four years before being signed by the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. In November 2014, Craig won a K1-rules fight in Germany. Craig won the

World Light heavyweight Championship at BAMMA 23 when he defeated Marcin Lazarz by submission. He was set to defend his title against Chris Fields in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, although the fight was postponed following the death of Portuguese fighter João Carvalho. The match up was rescheduled, but failed to take place due to Craig's damaging his ankle ligaments. Craig did not end up defending the title, as he signed a 4-fight deal with the

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 and was awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Craig faced

Tyson Pedro Tyson Pedro (born 17 September 1991) is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Pedro is an Australian of Spanish, American Samoa heritage. He ...

on 4 March 2017 at UFC 209. He lost the bout via first-round TKO. Craig faced Khalil Rountree at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio on 16 July 2017. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Craig faced

Magomed Ankalaev Magomed Alibulatovich Ankalaev (russian: Магоме́д Алибула́тович Анкала́ев; born 2 June 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist, who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate F ...

on 17 March 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 127 ''UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 127'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 17, 2018, at The O2 Arena in London, England. Background A heavy ...

. 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. He was also awarded a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus. Following the win against Ankalaev, Craig signed a new, four-fight contract with UFC. Craig faced promotional newcomer

Jimmy Crute Jimmy Crute (born 4 March 1996) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Crute was the former Australian Hex Fight Series Light Heav ...

on 2 December 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 142 ''UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 142'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on 2 December 2018 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Sou ...

. He lost the fight via kimura in the third round. Craig faced promotional newcomer

Kennedy Nzechukwu Kennedy Nzechukwu (born June 13, 1992) is a Nigerian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Nzechukwu moved from Nigeria to the United States with ...

on 30 March 2019 at

UFC on ESPN 2 ''UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on March 30, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Backgr ...

. He won the fight via submission due to a triangle choke in the third round. This win earned him the ''Performance of the Night'' award. Craig faced

Alonzo Menifield Alonzo Menifield (born October 18, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2015, he has formerly fought in Bellator and the ...

on 29 June 2019 a
UFC on ESPN 3: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos
He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Craig faced

Vinicius Moreira Vinicius Moreira Castro (born February 28, 1989) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Light heavyweight division. He is most known for his time spent fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Ins ...

on 21 September 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 17 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.> This win earn Craig his fourth ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award. Craig stepped in on short notice to face Maurício Rua on 16 November 2019 at

UFC on ESPN+ 22 ''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 22'' and ''UFC Vegas 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 17, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterpr ...

, replacing Sam Alvey, who had withdrawn from the bout due to a broken hand. After three rounds, the back-and-forth fight was declared a split draw. Craig was expected to face Ryan Spann on 21 March 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. However, the event was cancelled. Craig faced

Gadzhimurad Antigulov Gadzhimurad Antigulov (born January 1, 1987) is a Russian mixed martial artist who currently competing in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional since 2009, he has fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), M-1 Global, and Abso ...

on 26 July 2020 at UFC on ESPN 14. He won the fight via submission in round one. This win earned him the ''

'' award. Craig faced Maurício Rua in a rematch on 21 November 2020 at UFC 255. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. Craig was scheduled to face Jamahal Hill on 20 March 2021 UFC on ESPN 21. However on 10 March, Hill withdrew from the bout after testing positive for COVID-19. The match was rescheduled for 12 June 2021 at

UFC 263 ''UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 12, 2021, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, United States. Background The event was the second ...

. Craig won the bout via TKO in round one after snapping Hill's elbow with an armbar. This win earned him the ''

'' award. Craig was scheduled to face

Alexander Gustafsson Alexander Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist. Gustafsson currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA ...

on 4 September 2021 at UFC Fight Night 191. However, a week before the event, Gustafsson withdrew due to injury. Craig faced Nikita Krylov on March 19, 2022 at

UFC Fight Night 204 ''UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 204'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 62'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 19, 2022 at The O2 Arena in Lo ...

. He won the fight via a triangle choke in round one. With this win, he received the ''

'' award. Craig faced

Volkan Oezdemir Volkan Oezdemir (born 19 September 1989) is a Swiss professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxing practitioner. He currently competes in the Light heavyweight (MMA), Light heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...

on July 23, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 208. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Craig faced Johnny Walker on January 21, 2023, at UFC 283. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Craig competed in the 2015 British Pro Jiu Jitsu Championship, taking 1st place in the Purple Belt 95+ kg Division and qualifying for the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. He also took 3rd place in the Absolute Purple 75+ kg Division. After defeating Jamahal Hill in 2021, Craig was promoted to black belt. On 27/08/22, Craig defeated Sam Sweeney in a tough, back and forth sub only grappling match at Holytown Havoc 2. On September 24, Craig faced Jed Hue in the main event of Polaris 21. Craig was submitted with an ankle-lock 21 seconds.

Personal life

Paul played

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

before becoming an

MMA fighter Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

. He also worked as a football coach before becoming a teacher for an educational charity.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

(Seven times) **Second most submission wins in the UFC Light Heavyweight division history (6) **Most triangle choke submission wins in the UFC Light Heavyweight division history (4) *

** BAMMA World Light heavyweight Championship (One time) *

MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Ma ...

**2019 March Submission of the Month vs.

*Jitsmagazine **2022 MMA Submission of the Year vs. Nikita Krylov at UFC on ESPN+ 62.

Mixed martial arts record

, Loss , align=center, 16–6–1 , Johnny Walker , TKO (punches) , UFC 283 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:16 ,

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–5–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

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, England , , - , Win , align=center, 15–4–1 , Jamahal Hill , TKO (elbows and punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:59 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located approximately northwest of Downtown Phoenix. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 248,325. History In the la ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–4–1 , Maurício Rua , TKO (submission to punches) , UFC 255 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:36 ,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–4–1 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:06 ,

Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

, United Arab Emirates , , - , Draw , align=center, , Maurício Rua , Draw (split) , UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Jacaré , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

, Brazil , , - , Win , align=center, 12–4 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:19 ,

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Mexico , , - , Loss , align=center, 11–4 ,

, KO (punches) , UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:19 ,

Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–3 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:20 ,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 10–3 ,

, Submission (kimura) , UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Tuivasa , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:51 ,

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, Australia , , - , Win , align=center, 10–2 ,

, Submission (triangle choke) , UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:59 ,

, England , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–2 ,

Khalil Rountree Jr. Khalil Ibn Rountree Jr. (born February 26, 1990) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light heavyweight (MMA), light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Rountree was born in ...

, KO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:56 ,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, Scotland , , - , Loss , align=center, 9–1 ,

, TKO (elbows) , UFC 209 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:10 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 , Henrique da Silva , Submission (armbar) , UFC on Fox: VanZant vs. Waterson , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:59 ,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Marcin Łazarz , Submission (triangle choke) , BAMMA 23 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:51 ,

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Karl Moore , Submission (guillotine choke) , BAMMA 22 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:48 ,

, Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Adam Wright , Submission (armbar) , Animalistic MMA: Rise of the Alpha , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:47 ,

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Andrzej Bachorz , Submission (brabo choke) , FightStar Championship 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Dan Konecke , TKO (punches) , First Fighting Championship: Resurgence , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:18 ,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, Scotland , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jon Ferguson , Submission (triangle choke) , Full Contact Contender 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:50 , Bolton, England , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Antonio Braga , Submission (triangle choke) , Underdog Xtreme Championships 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, Northern Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Brad Conway , Submission (triangle choke) , First Fighting Championship 3: Prepare For Glory , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:00 ,

, Scotland , , - , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Jeff Metcalfe , Submission (guillotine choke) , Supremacy Fight Challenge 8 , Nov 11, 2012 , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

Gateshead Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Paul Bradshaw , Submission (triangle choke) , MMA Total Combat 50 , Oct 6, 2012 , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:41 ,

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, England , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Paul Bradshaw , Submission (armbar) , MMA Total Combat 48 , Jul 21, 2012 , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:26 ,

, England , , -

Submission grappling record

{, class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:left;" , - , colspan=8 style="text-align:center;" , 2 Matches, 1 Wins, 1 Losses, 0 Draws , - ! Result ! Rec. ! Opponent ! Method ! text-center, Event ! Date ! Division ! Location , - , Loss , , align=center, 1-1, , Jed Hue , , Submisson, (Estima lock) , , Polaris 21: Grapple Island , , September 24, 2022 , , Openweight , ,

Cagliari Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...

, Italy , - , Win , , align=center, 1-0, , Sam Sweeney , , Submisson, (Rear Naked Choke) , , Holytown Havoc 2 , , August 8, 2022 , , Openweight , ,

Holytown Holytown ( sco, 'Holy-Town' - Holytown, gd, Baile a' Chuilinn)

, Scotland

See also
*
List of current UFC fighters This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster ...
*
List of male mixed martial artists This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order. __NOTOC__ A * Shamil Abdurakhimov - ( M-1, UFC) * Daichi Abe - (UFC, Pancrase) * Hiroyuki Abe - (Shooto, KOTC, Cage Rage, DEEP, Pride) * Papy Ab ...

References

External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Craig, Paul 1987 births Living people Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Scottish male mixed martial artists British wushu practitioners Sportspeople from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Mixed martial artists utilizing wushu Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Scottish practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu