London — Saturday’s UFC London card may not be the only visit to the U.K. the promotion makes this year.
That’s according to Scotland’s Paul Craig, who let the news slip during Wednesday’s jam-packed UFC London media day, with Cageside Press and numerous other outlets in attendance.
“I’ll tell you— I’m going to tell you, I don’t care,” Craig (15-4-1), who fights Nikita Krylov this weekend, began. Throwing caution to the wind, he revealed that “they [UFC] booked various events around the U.K this summer. They have booked places like Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, London. They’ve booked them, and it all depends on what happens Saturday night, what we’re going to get.”
“So there is going to be another UK, there’s going to be a huge show for UK fighters again,” he continued, adding “it’s going to be a regular thing, and I’m probably going to get my knuckles rapped. Who cares, what’s the worst they can do? Throw me from the show?”
Craig currently sits on a five fight unbeaten streak, posting a 4-0-1 record in that span. His goal moving forward is to crack the top ten, and Nikita Krylov, he believes, is the opponent he can do it with.
“Being in the top ten has been a goal for me for the last two years,” said Craig, who added that with COVID, that was “kind of on the back burner because I couldn’t get fights.”
“For my new year, new resolution, all this kind of nonsense, it was getting into that top ten, and there’s one guy in the way, and that’s Krylov,” he continued. “So what I’m going to do is put on a Performance of the Night, not to get the bonuses, but to get my name in the mix for this top 10, top 5, be a light heavyweight contender.”
He certainly has a shot at it. Through 12 UFC fights to date, Craig has secured six Performance of the Night bonuses. Batting .500 in terms of Performance of the Night awards is nothing if not impressive.
Watch the full UFC London media day scrum with Paul Craig above. More coverage from the event can be found below. Craig faces Nikita Krylov at the Fight Night card this Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the O2 Arena in London, England.