‘Gets me one step closer to the title’
Paul Craig doesn’t see himself very far from the UFC championship belt.
The light heavyweight contender believes he’s one or two good wins away from a title shot, depending on his performances and how some results at the top shake out.
Craig (16-5-1 MMA & 8-5-1 UFC), will be returning to the octagon Saturday, on the main card UFC 283 In Rio de Janeiro Brazil, he will face Johnny Walker (19-7MMA, 5-4 UFC). Jamahal, a man that he had stopped fighting in the summer of 2021 for the light heavyweight title, takes on Glover Teixeira at the top of the card.
Craig is hopeful that Hill wins the win and the title, which could set up a possible rematch. If Hill does win, he would then be able to win over the champion.
“I’ve got Jamahal Hill taking this victory because not only does it help my career, but I like Jamahal Hill as an athlete and an MMA fighter,” Craig told reporters at the UFC 283 media day on Wednesday. “I think he does wonders for the sport. He’s an exciting character, crazy power in his hands and that also leads to, and I’m not looking past Johnny Walker, but it leads to that opportunity to have a run back of that fight, and it gets me one step closer to the title.”
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Craig is coming off his July loss to Volkan Ottemir. However, Craig was coming off a loss to Volkan Oezdemir in July. He was also on a winning streak of four fights and 5-0-1 his six previous bouts. The draw came against MauricioRua.
Craig would lose to Walker Saturday night and the title dream could be further away. The 35-year-old is well aware of that and that’s why he’s determined to not only beat Walker, but put on an impressive showing to better his chances of a title shot.
“I need to first and foremost do the business on Saturday against Johnny Walker,” Craig said. “It can’t just be a victory. It must be a performance. It should demonstrate my ability to strike, my new skills, and my lethal jiujitsu. I have to ensure I’m able to hang with a guy like Johnny Walker.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.