Paul Craig enters the octagon this weekend carrying significant pressure.
The submission specialist from Scotland is set for his 20th fight in the promotion early on Sunday morning at UFC Vegas 106.
This upcoming bout finds him in unfamiliar territory, currently on a three-fight losing streak, which is the worst run in his almost nine-year career with the top mixed martial arts organization.
Standing opposite “The Airdrie Assassin” and preventing a crucial return to victory is Brazilian powerhouse Rodolfo Bellato. This fight is also the final one on Craig`s current contract.
Craig openly admits that his time competing in the premier MMA promotion could come to an end if he fails to get his hand raised in the Las Vegas showdown.
In an exclusive interview, he explained the realities of fighting in the UFC:
“The way the UFC works is you need to be winning. That`s what this sport is about, and what you do in that octagon. It`s not about all the extra media you do or your ability to chat. That`s a very small part of this job.
It`s about what happens in that octagon. And I do believe that coming off the three losses, with three of those losses being against three good opponents. It wasn`t like I had been beaten off no-names. I got beat off, Brendan Allen, who`s in that top 15 and he`s in that mix. And I got beat off Caio Borralho who`s the same. And some people say he`s probably the next champion in that division.
And then when you look at Bo Nickal, I wasn`t beaten. I beat myself in the Bo Nickal fight. You`re always worried about your next contract. So that fear is what kind of motivates me as well.
We`ve seen that when I fought Magomed Ankalaev and I got that victory in the last fight of my contract for that period. And I`m coming to the same sort of moment in my life where this is all or nothing.
`Do you want to be a UFC fighter? Or do you want to go back to Monday [to Friday] nine-to-five and be a teacher or be working in a gym? Is that what you want to do as your job?`
And I`m like, `You know what, I do believe there`s a little bit left in me to be a UFC fighter and be a light heavyweight champion.`
So it`s all or nothing come Saturday.
I would love to say you`re going to see a different version of Paul Craig, but you never know what happens on that night. But I`m definitely going there out on my shield. And it`s a victory I`m looking for.”
While Paul`s situation is precarious, he has a history of performing well when under pressure.
Two of his most memorable wins came after experiencing consecutive losses, including a stunning last-second submission of then-light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and a dominant TKO victory over middleweight contender Andre Muniz.
He stated:
“When there is pressure, I do believe that`s when you see the best Paul Craig. Somebody made a meme online and it`s like, `Paul Craig can beat anyone on any given night.` And it`s true, I can beat anyone.
If you put somebody in front of me and as long as I`m switched on and there`s enough added external pressure, then I will rise to the occasion. And I do believe this is going to be one of these moments.”
To overcome Bellato, a product of Dana White`s Contender Series known for his powerful striking and grappling, Paul will need to be exceptionally focused, perhaps more than ever in recent fights.
Bellato`s performances in the UFC have caught Craig`s attention, although he feels the Brazilian fighter might lack mental fortitude.
Describing his opponent, Paul said:
“He`s an amazing MMA practitioner. He`s coming off a draw. He`s working with guys like Alex Pereira. He`s got a very good jiu-jitsu ground game and he`s got a very good stand-up striking game.
But what he`s not got is he`s not got that heart of a warrior. He`s not got that Celtic blood in him that runs deep. That ability to pick ourselves back up and keep driving forward and looking for our victories.”
A win against Bellato with his back against the wall would not only save Paul`s position in the UFC but also potentially prevent him from leaving the sport entirely.
The weight of this critical do-or-die fight in Las Vegas will undoubtedly remain a significant factor until the contest is concluded.
Craig emphasized the stakes, saying:
“It needs to be a victory for the UFC career-saving moment. This is the last fight on my contract. I do want to keep being a fighter.
I do believe, as I get a little bit older, that I`m getting better, skill-wise, with regards to jiu-jitsu. I`m always learning.
I do believe that I`m a much better version of a mixed martial artist than I was back when I first started. And that`s the thing that keeps me in this sport.
As long as I can keep getting better, then I`ll keep staying in this sport.
And as we said, there`s a lot of pressure coming off of three losses. I need the win or this game`s over for Paul Craig in the UFC.”
Percy Harlow