Paul Craig is set to face Brendan Allen at the UFC Fight Night event on November 18th.  Craig has been a part of the UFC since 2016. He made his debut against Henrique da Silva at UFC Fight Night: Vanzant vs Waterson. ‘Bearjew’ evidently cemented his position as a top-tier MMA fighter by remaining a permanent fixture in the light heavyweight division for most of his career.

However, back-to-back losses against Volkan Oezdemir and Johnny Walker prompted him to switch his weight classes. Craig dropped down to the middleweight division to face Andre Muniz in July of 2023, and secured a knockout victory in his new weight class! Craig is primarily known for his grappling skills as he holds the 2nd most submissions in the light-heavyweight division. Let’s take a look at his BJJ credentials ahead of his highly anticipated matchup against Allen!

Paul Craig is a black belt in BJJ

Paul Craig received his BJJ black after his spectacular victory against Jamahal Hill at UFC 263. However, the submission he used led to a severe injury for Hill. And it showcased the danger of Craig’s guard in MMA grappling!

Craig grabbed Hill’s arm in a deep armbar and managed to dislocate it before the referee could intervene. Hill had tapped when he felt the submission being locked in, but Craig and the referee both missed the tap. Craig then proceeded to control the injured Hill on the ground and rained down heavy ground and pound before the referee eventually stepped in.

This incredible performance led to him securing his black belt under coach Brian Gallagher. Coming into the fight against Hill, the Scot was a brown belt. But his demonstration of incredible control and submission technique against the dangerous Hill led to him being awarded the prestigious BJJ black belt.

Chris Bungard, Craig’s training partner, shared the video of his black belt award ceremony on Twitter/X. It revealed that Craig secured his black belt with his teammates and coaches surrounding him, over a round of celebratory drinks. So what’s next for this incredible fighter?

Craig is focusing on securing a UFC title

Against Brendan Allen, Craig will be facing a fellow grappling expert and submission artist. But the age difference between the two is significant with Allen being eight years younger than Craig. Previous grappler vs. grappler matches in the UFC have shown that the fight will be determined by the fighter who can control the distance better and engage on their own terms.

However, despite Allen being the primary focus for Craig at the current time, a win here can also catapult him to contender status in the middleweight division. As the current middleweight champion, Sean Strickland is gearing up to defend his title against the South African phenom Dricus Du Plessis in 2024.

The chaos in the middleweight title picture caused by Israel Adesanya’s shocking defeat at the hands of Strickland can lead to Craig finding himself in the mix sooner than expected!

In a recent interview, Craig stated that his journey in the UFC has been about just one thing – securing a title. He stated, “I love being a fighter, and I love all the positives and negatives that come with being a fighter, but it needs to be about getting gold.”

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