"Craig on his back more than Teen Mom" - Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren, and other MMA pros express frustration at how Paul Craig fought Volkan Oezdemir
Paul Craig is under fire from current and former MMA fighters following his strange approach to his highly-anticipated clash against the dangerous Volkan Oezdemir at UFC London this evening.
'Bearjew' is best known for his ability to lock in a submission from anywhere, no matter the time of the fight. The Scotsman has earned some of his biggest wins through astonishing late submissions. But if Craig can't get his grappling going, he struggles.
In response to Paul Craig's unusual performance against Volkan Oezdemir on July 23, Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren, and other MMA personalities chimed in with their opinion of the light heavyweight.
What is Paul Craig doing ? He needs to take some chances on his feet. He is losing this fight by continuing to pull guard. Volkan up 2-0 and he is still doing it
The former two-division UFC champion was clearly not impressed by the 34-year-old's performance and expressed his feelings over social media. Unsurprisingly, 'DC' wasn't the only one to air his frustration, with a handful of other stars commenting on what they were seeing.
Why did no one teach Paul Craig how to finish a double leg??
How you gonna act like that before and then fight like you are scared for your life?
#UFCLondon
Yeah Bear Jew is my guy but my arrogance cost me and I see that now!!!#liveandlearn
Craig on his back more than Teen Mom #UFCLondon
Imagine getting all up in your opponents face at weigh ins and the start of the fight.... JUST to walk out and to pull guard 100 times.... 🤦🏿#ufclondon
Craig is getting deep on a few of those shots, not too sure why he just wouldn’t try and actually complete the takedown to get on top. #UFCLondon
While the BJJ black belt would likely agree that he could have fought a much better fight, it is hard to criticize him for relying on his grappling, which has earned him 13 submission finishes throughout his MMA career.
Similar to in his clash with Oezdemir, Paul Craig was bombarded with negative comments during bouts with Nikita Krylov and Magomed Ankalaev. On both occasions, he managed to throw up a triangle choke and secure the win.
Referee raising Volkan Oezdemir's hand against Paul Craig:
30-27
30-27
30-27
Volkan Oezdemir scores a unanimous decision victory at #UFCLondon 👏 https://t.co/IFajViPnSx
What's next for Volkan Oezdemir after Paul Craig win?
Volkan Oezdemir successfully ended his two-fight skid when he overcame the grappling prowess of Paul Craig in hostile territory at UFC London, but what's next for the Swiss?
'No Time' will have an improved ranking the next time we see him in the octagon, and there also remains a handful of potential opponents waiting in the wings for him.
Jamahal Hill is a big name who Oezdemir previously had a back-and-forth with over social media. If 'Sweet Dreams' is able to bypass Thiago 'Marreta' Santos on August 6, we may see the two knockout artists match up and aim to put on a show sometime in the near future.
@JamahalH #UFCVegas48
I’m still doubting 🤔 @JamahalH twitter.com/espnmma/status…
Another potential opponent is the surprising Nikita Krylov. Coming off the performance of a lifetime against Alexander Gustafsson, the Ukrainian took his chance on the mic to call for his shot at the man from Switzerland, and wants to get a bout booked for a card in Abu Dhabi later this year.