Paul Craig seeks to position himself for UFC title shot

MANILA, Philippines – “I apologize for my thick Scottish accent,” the tall man apologized. “If you go 30 minutes in any direction in Scotland, the accents change. All these dialects have different accents.”

One thing is for sure, six-foot-three Scotsman Paul Craig is one of the UFC’s rising light heavyweights. The 34-year-old Scot is on a four-match win streak, undefeated in six matches after a luckless 3-3 start to his UFC career.

This Sunday, Manila time, July 24, Craig (16-4-1) will battle Swiss counterpart Volkan Oezdemir (17-6-0) in the main cards of UFC Fight Night Blaydes vs. Aspinall at the O2 Arena in London, England.

Craig is currently ranked eighth in the UFC’s light heavyweight division with Oezdemir right behind him. The division’s championship belt recently changed hands when Jiri Prochazka defeated Glover Teixeira in UFC 275 in Singapore.

Right behind Prochazka are Teixeira, Jan Blachowicz, Aleksandar Rakic, Magomed Ankalaev, Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos and Dominick Reyes.

Taking time out to talk to Philstar.com, Craig discussed a change in his approach to fights that has turned his career around.

“After I lost two fights in a row, I didn’t know what to do. I have never experienced anything like this before,” the 34-year old Craig admitted. “I would physically push myself hard but mentally, I wasn’t there. So I worked with a sports psychologist using visualization and other psychology techniques to improve me as a fighter.”

“We’d go through all these scenarios that could happen inside the Octagon so you know what to expect. It is a huge help to your mindset.”

“And there was a year I wasn’t pushing hard and so I ended up getting a physical condition coach.”

“Whenever I go to camp, I make small improvements. I choose one area and focus on it. This camp was all about nutrition. It starts from nutrition and what I am eating, then I work on my jiu jitsu, conditioning, and so on. Everything has improved.”

Craig hopes those improvements will come to fore against Oezdemir. After all, he is one of the more exciting fighters in the UFC with seven Performance of the Night bonuses including four in his current streak. 

The Swiss fighter’s career is the opposite of the Scots’ own.

Oezdemir won his first three UFC fights then hit a wall as he went 2-5 including two consecutive losses.

A loss by the Swiss fighter puts him in a precarious situation. For sure, survival will be in Oezdemir’s mind.

“He is a great name in the sport for me to showcase my talent,” observed Craig. “If I can’t beat Oezdemir I cannot get close to the tile. And I have to claim the title.”

This will be Craig’s third UFC fight in London — all for wins, including two in the UFC.

“Right now, I am the only Scot in the UFC so I don’t imagine we will get any promotions in Glasgow anytime soon. So right now, London is my homecoming show and I hope to always do my very best.”

“My jiu jitsu got me to the UFC and that is what will keep me here.”

UFC Fight Night Blaydes vs. Aspinall will be shown at 2 a.m. Sunday, July 24, on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on the TapGo streaming application.