UFC fighter Paul Craig got back on track with his winning ways by knocking out Andre Muniz in the second round of their bout at UFC bout Night 224. Craig had previously had some disheartening defeats when competing at the light-heavyweight lightweight division.
Craig has a renewed sense of self-assurance as a result of his outstanding performance, and he believes he is a viable contender at 185 pounds. ‘Bearjew’ put his fellow middleweights on notice by challenging the up-and-coming sensation Bo Nickal during an interview with the UFC media crew.
“You know how much I enjoy competing, so it would mean the world to me if I could come back before November… I am aware that Khamzat Chimaev is now competing in the Abu Dabhi card. I know that they are seeking for somebody to replace Bo Nickal, and Sean Strickland is now competing for the title. Nobody wants to fight Bo Nickal, and if we do, he’ll probably end up taking me out first. After that, who knows what will happen? Because I compete at the middleweight class, I pose a significant threat, and my fellow middleweights have every reason to be afraid of me.
You may read Paul Craig’s thoughts on the topic in the tweet that can be seen below (4:22):
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“I’m a dangerous threat, and the middleweights ought to be afraid of me,” the fighter said.
In his first fight in the middleweight division, Paul Craig (@PaulCraig) shown that he is capable of diving headfirst into the competition.
Results, Interviews, and More from #UFCLondon Can Be Found Here: ufc.ac/3K8k6VF 38 7
Bo Nickal, who has a perfect record of 5-0, is quickly becoming a formidable opponent in the middleweight class thanks to his remarkable performance in the 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series and his even more overpowering performances in the UFC.
The former wrestler finished the business early in his most recent battle, which took place at UFC 290. He knocked out Valentine Woodburn in slightly more than 30 seconds.
Despite recent setbacks at light-heavyweight, Paul Craig has impressive victories against a number of the best fighters at 205 pounds, including former champions Jamahal Hill and Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua as well as a past title challenger named Magomed Ankalaev. Bearjew has a record of 17 wins, six defeats, and one draw over his career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). At one point in his career, he was undefeated in a string of six fights in the promotion.
Paul Craig reaffirms he is “still in the mix” at light-heavyweight despite middleweight move
It would appear that Paul Craig has ambitions for himself that are quite lofty. After a stunning showing in his first fight at middleweight, ‘Bearjew’ confirmed in an interview with TNT Sports that he is still a genuine contender at light heavyweight.
In addition, when asked about his ambitions to compete for the championship in not one but two different UFC divisions, Craig said the following:
“One of the things that I wanted to do was I’ve had victories over the former champion Jamahal Hill, and I’ve got [a] victory over Ankalaev, so I believe that I’m still in the mix with the light heavyweights, but I believe there is an opportunity to make a [title] run in middleweight. I believe there is an opportunity to make a [title] run in middleweight. Therefore, either one of the two divisions is going to get it, and I’ll be the one to dole it out.”
