Paul Craig takes on Johnny Walker at UFC 283 this weekend, and despite being an underdog with the bookmakers, will fancy his chances of a submission victory.
He currently has six UFC wins via submission, which ranks second all-time in the division behind former champion and UFC 283 headliner Glover Teixeira. To help get you ready for his upcoming fight, let’s recap the top five submissions of Craig’s MMA career so far.
5. Marcin Łazarz
First up is Craig’s win over Marcin Marcin Łazarz at BAMMA 23. Here he won the well-respected regional title via first-round submission. In the fight-ending sequence, Craig is taken down but immediately sweeps his opponent to take his back before transitioning to an arm bar and then a triangle to finish the fight.
The performance punched Craig’s ticket to the UFC, so it is worthy of inclusion on this list. You can see the finish in the video below:
4. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Looking to bounce from a loss against Jimmy Crute, Craig was matched up with the dangerous Kennedy Nzechukwu. After the fight ended up on the mat, Craig attempted several arm bars before transitioning to his signature triangle choke. This one finished with a twist, however, as he swept Nzechukwu to finish him via a flashy mounted triangle, marking his first loss in his MMA career.
Another submission win, and another performance bonus for Craig.
3. Nikita Krylov
This win was a true Paul Craig special. Krylov was beating him up on the feet and dropped him multiple times. During a barrage of ground and pound, Craig was flattened onto his back and was eating heavy strikes. Little did the unsuspecting Krylov know Craig had him right where he wanted him. A few seconds later, the triangle was locked in, and Craig had earned his sixth UFC submission victory.
Making this win all the more special was the occasion. The UFC had returned to British shores for the first time since the pandemic, and Craig sent the O2 Arena filled with travelling Scottish fans into ruptures.
2. Magomed Ankalaev
Paul Craig’s resume is outstanding, but its crown jewel is his triangle submission win over Magomed Ankalaev. He was losing for almost the entirety of the fight, with Ankalaev cruising to a dominant decision win. But, with just one second left on the clock, Craig caught Ankalaev in a triangle, resulting in one of the best comebacks in UFC history. By Craig’s own admission, this win probably saved his UFC career, and to this day, it is the only loss on Ankalaev’s record.
The finish earned him yet another performance of the night bonus in the UFC and proved that Paul Craig is never out of a fight.
1. Jamahal Hill
Ok, so this one technically was recorded as a TKO stoppage due to strikes. However, given that moment before Craig had snapped Hill’s arm with an arm bar, this fight deserves inclusion on this list. Hill motioned to the referee that his arm had broken but was forced to endure several more strikes to the head before the referee waived it off.
Not only was this the most brutal win of his career, but Craig was also awarded his BJJ black belt afterwards. For these reasons, this victory weighs it at number one on this list.
How do you think Paul Craig will fare at UFC 283? Drop your prediction in the comments!
Featured image credits to Getty Images
