Reliving the Top Moments of Paul Craig’s Career
Paul Craig has announced his retirement after an unfortunate elbow knockout loss to Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Paris. The 37-year-old from Scotland has only one win from his last eight fights and realised it was time to throw in the towel. After placing his gloves in the middle of the octagon, he made a statement including, “the young eat the old.” What seemed like a sad finish was really the closing of an amazing and historical career for Craig, and the sport will miss him dearly.
Paul Craig had some extremely legendary moments in his career, showing how he built his legacy on grit and amazing technique. Throughout his career, Craig earned himself eight fight of the night performance bonuses, which ties him at third most in UFC history. Craig was also able to secure the second-most submission wins in the lightweight division, being only behind Glover Teixeira. Craig also had many unforgettable victories in the lightweight division. In 2018, he defeated the rising star Magomed Ankalaev with a triangle choke in the final seconds of the third round. This became the latest submission finish in three-round UFC history. In November of 2020, Craig was given a rematch against Mauricio Rua, which ended in a draw the first time they faced off. Craig was able to secure a win by TKO and another post-fight bonus. Plus, finally, at UFC 263, Craig defeated the future Lightweight Champion, Jamahal Hill, with a nasty armbar, resulting in Hill breaking his arm. This was his most recent big victory, and another performance of the night for Craig.
Overall, Paul Craig had an incredible career and made history as a UFC fighter. He built his career on true grit and determination, finding his way to some amazing victories. The 37-year-old from Scotland finishes his career slightly above even for his record, but leaves the mat head held high, grateful for his experience as a fighter. He gave the UFC world some unforgettable finishes and was always willing to step up against tough opponents. Paul Craig was a beloved fighter and will be dearly missed.
