LAS VEGAS – Paul Craig knows what his UFC Fight Night 232 main event matchup vs. Brendan Allen looks like on paper, but he doesn’t see it going that way.
Craig (17-6-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) and Allen (22-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who meet in Saturday’s middleweight headliner that streams on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex, are two of the most proven dangerous fighters in the division when it comes to grappling skills.
That would lead to the assumption they will go tit-for-tat on the mat until one prevails, but Craig doesn’t see it that way.
“This is one of those battles where people say, ‘It’s going to be a grappling battle’ – I don’t believe that,” Craig told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 232 media day. “I believe this battle is very much going to be a stand-up battle. Who is going to control the distance? Who is going to control the octagon? Then from that, who is going to capitalize with these heavy shots. Imposing damage, imposing will, and from that, it’ll be then ended on the ground. It’ll be won on the feet, ended on the ground.”
If it does prove to be a stand-up affair, Craig is confident he’ll thrive there. His striking has been dismissed as low-level in the past, especially from a critical analysis from UFC lightweight Renato Moicano.
Although Craig hears those who downplay his ability in that area, he said he knows what he’s truly capable of, and expects to show it against Allen.
“When fighters give you any criticism, you obviously want to show them that they’re wrong,” Craig said. “But until you’ve had any of the smoke, you kind of just sit there regardless of the fighter. If you catch these hands, you’ll know how good the striking is. We’ve showed glimmers of hope in our striking. We don’t need to be a good striker, you just need to be a good jiu-jitsu practitioner. We’ve shown that as a light heavyweight. We’ve beaten so many of the top grapplers in the light heavyweight division. And then we obviously beat (Andre) Muniz, who is a very high-level grappler. So when it comes to showcasing my talent, I’ve already showcased that. How many guys’ arms has he broken?”
After spending the entirety of his UFC career at light heavyweight, Craig moved down to 185 pounds in July and won his debut with a second-round TKO of Andre Muniz at UFC Fight Night 224.
Craig said the second weight cut to the division has only been smoother, and from that perspective, his physical shape should only be better this time around.
At 35, Craig said he only has “six to eight” fights left in his career, and he knows this is the time to make a run. He’s being patient in his approach, and intends to go step-by-step until he reaches the top.
“It’s now about resetting new goals and getting to that title,” Craig said. “I know it’s close. I know I’m in the mix. I’ve been given an opportunity, but what you can’t do, is look past your opponent who is standing in front of you. … So I need to be focused on Brendan Allen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
