UFC fans would be forgiven for naming Islam Makhachev as their UFC GOAT or, at the very least, the greatest MMA fighter in the world right now. His #1 status in the pound-for-pound rankings says so, after all.
Besides the UFC lightweight champion, fans may be inclined to bestow the ‘greatest’ tag on heavyweight champ Jon Jones. However, there are several other pound-for-pound fighters who can call on impressive statistics.
But a rather surprising name has emerged in the debate on social media. A post on Reddit displays the MMA record of a certain seasoned fighter, forged in the unforgiving landscape of the Scottish Lowlands.
An impressive and unmatched statistic makes an argument for this UFC light heavyweight as one of UFC’s greatest, if not the GOAT.
The fighter is none other than Scottish veteran Paul Craig. His mixed form, marked by an overall 17-9 MMA record, was perhaps best summed up by a popular comment on the post: “Type of guy to sub Jones and [Tom] Aspinall but lose to [Tai] Tuivasa.”
However, hidden in his up-and-down form from 2019 to 2022 is a statistic that any fighter would be proud to own. In that period, Craig recorded six wins from nine fights, drawing once and losing twice. Among the opponents he beat were Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill, and Maurício Rua. But what do they have in common?
The three fighters were either former or future UFC champions, and Craig defeated them all with a finish as well.
“My GOAT Paul Craig has beaten more UFC champs than Islam, [Charles] Oliveira, [Justin] Gaethje, and [Michael] Chandler combined – all by finishes,” wrote the Redditor on the original post.
Yes, it’s true. None of them has individually matched Craig’s record of victories over three UFC champions.
Should Craig get more respect than he does?
Craig may have yet to win gold in the promotion, but his tenure, almost a decade long now, is a reflection of the reputation he has built during his time in the UFC.
Craig is level with Kevin Holland for second on the list for most Performance of the Night bonuses, with eight. Only Oliveira has more (13). Craig also has the outright record for the most triangle choke submissions in UFC history, with four.
It was the triangle choke submission victory over Ankalaev that earned Craig the most iconic moment of his UFC career. Locking in the then-young and inexperienced Ankalaev, Craig forced a memorable last-second submission in the fight’s third round. It remains Ankalaev’s only loss in an 11-year MMA career.
Craig’s impressive achievement may not be enough to qualify him as the GOAT. However, his penchant for supreme submission grappling continues to make him a popular fighter among MMA’s hardcore fanbase.
