P. Craig finished off Magomed Ankalaev in the final second. Photo: Reproduction / Twitter @ufc
Responsible for handing Magomed Ankalaev his first and only defeat so far in his career , Paul Craig is increasingly proud of his triumph over the Russian amidst the athlete's success in the UFC. Winning by submission in the last second of the fight, the Scotsman applied a triangle choke and forced his opponent to tap out.
Despite the triumph achieved in 2018, Craig still remembers the great skill displayed by the current Ultimate light heavyweight champion (up to 93kg).
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"I was really surprised by how quickly he moved and how he would lure his opponent into his back hand. And he hits with it really, really hard. This win just keeps getting better and better as time goes on. The guy is 21-1-1, and you have to give him credit. His only loss to me. It doesn't matter if it was the first second or the last, a win is a win," Craig said on TNT UFC.
Continuing his speech, the veteran recalled physical problems he had and considered Ankalaev's performance to be a massacre.
"For 14 minutes and 50 seconds, he imposed his will on me. He was physically very strong, very explosive. I remember one moment when he picked me up and put me down like a father putting a baby to bed. And I couldn't do anything about it. I had a hole in my jaw, under my chin, from one of his punches. I had broken ribs. He simply beat me, and for two days, I couldn't walk. He destroyed my legs and my arms," he concluded.
The protagonist of UFC 320, Ankalaev defends his light heavyweight belt this Saturday (04) against Alex Poatan . The favorite in the betting houses, the athlete expresses confidence and predicts a knockout within the fourth round of the confrontation.
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