How former soccer coach Paul Craig , who didn't even know what's MMA before the age of 24, is now headlining a UFC event
Paul Craig is gearing up to face Brendan Allen in a middleweight bout at UFC Vegas 82 this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. This will mark the Scottish fighter's first time headlining an event after making 16 outings in the promotion.
Craig has a professional record of 17-6, with all his wins coming via submission or knockout. Given his incredible propensity to get the finish over his opponents, many overlook the fact that 'Bearjew' began learning MMA at the ripe age of 24 and didn't have any particular interest in the sport or the UFC.
A 2017 report by MMA Junkie revealed that Paul Craig worked as a soccer coach in West Scotland before his MMA debut. He primarily taught the people in his local community before joining an educational charity that taught in high schools. Unsurprisingly, the MMA gym was an alien landscape to Craig. However, once he started learning, the Scottish fighter took to martial arts like a duck to water.
In the same report, Paul Craig credited his friend for introducing him to the sport and said:
"My friend took me down to this gym in Coatbridge that was full of sweaty, half-naked people, and I had never even seen the UFC, so it was a bit weird. But once I started learning, it just took over."
In the same report, Paul Craig outlined the reason behind pursuing MMA as a career. He stated that he's always loved being liked by people and fighting in the UFC brought him lots of attention and love from his whole country.
UFC Vegas 82: Paul Craig confident about beating Brendan Allen this weekend
Paul Craig recently weighed in on his upcoming fight against Brendan Allen at UFC Vegas 82 and expressed confidence about getting his hand raised.
In his last fight, Craig made his 185-pound debut against Andre Muniz at UFC Fight Night 224 and won the fight via second-round TKO. On the other hand, Allen is on a five-fight win streak and is coming off a first-round submission win over Bruno Silva.
Craig isn't intimidated by Brendan Allen's record and recently spoke to MMA journalist James Lynch about the fight. Expressing his confidence, 'Bearjew' said:
"It's scheduled for five rounds, I don't see it going that [far]... Is this guy as strong as Johnny Walker, who knocked me out? I don't believe so. Is this guy as strong and technical in grappling as [Nikita] Krylov is? I don't believe so. Is he a better striker than Jamahal Hill? I don't believe so... When I moved to middleweight, I was the big guy. I'm the guy that gets to impose his will... lead with heavy shots and bully him."