MMA fighter Paul Craig has successfully made his middleweight debut, defeating Andre Muniz at UFC London, but has not ruled out a return to the light heavyweight category.
Paul Craig, a comfortable middleweight fighter, is not completely dismissing the possibility of a return to 205 pounds. His middleweight debut took place on a Saturday night in UFC London, where he stopped Andre Muniz in the second round. The win halted a two-fight losing streak for Craig, sometimes referred to as “Bearjew,” throwing him into the middleweight contender mix at 185 pounds, a move Craig said had been in the cards for some time.
Craig, who has been a UFC fighter since 2006, has spent the majority of his career at 205 pounds. Though his record includes wins over several top 15 light heavyweight fighters—former champion Jamahal Hill and former title challenger Magomed Ankalaev among them,it also includes some tough losses. Craig suggests that his losing knock-out to Johnny Walker in January triggered his switch to middleweight. Recalling standing across the octagon from Walker, Craig saw him as a “specimen” and a “freak of nature,” motivating him to respectively evaluate his prospects in the light heavyweight division.
Craig and his team consulted with the UFC Performance Institute to consider their move to middleweight. After a successful test cut, they decided to make the switch. The results exceeded Craig’s expectations, with his leaner physique actually weighing in heavier than he had been competing at 205 pounds. Despite the success of making weight and looking stronger than ever, Craig stressed that he’s not completely excluding a return to the light heavyweight division.
Craig has plans to remain a dual-threat fighter for the UFC in the future. He is currently ranked No. 9 in the light heavyweight rankings and will possibly be ranked at 185 pounds, following his win over Muniz, opening several fighting options going forward. He’s open to fights in either division, so long as they’re interesting. “I’m not interested in having easy fights. What I’m interested in is having fearful fights, fights that make you wake up at night and question if you’ve done enough. They’re the fights I want,” he said.