Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Craig dislocates opponent’s arm in latest UFC triumph
Fight star Paul Craig dislocated Jamahal Hill’s arm in a first round TKO victory at UFC 263 over the weekend - which saw him pocket $50,000 for the ‘performance of the night’.
The 33-year-old made light work of his opponent in the light-heavyweight bout in Arizona to record his fourth straight win on the circuit.
Just one minute into the contest, Craig produced a brutal armbar and pulled Hill’s arm so hard it was believed Hill’s arm had been broken.
Craig’s opponent refused to tap out and continued on with a floppy arm before the referee eventually called a halt, with Craig picking up the victory on a technical submission and taking home the $50k prize.
Craig said: “i was very, very strong. My over hook was so tight that he was basically standing up with me and he couldn’t shift me.
“Once I lock in, it’s game over.
“As soon as his arm went over my hip, I knew it had went.you could hear it, you could see it and I let out a visual mention to the referee, you know, ‘his arm’s gone.’
“I take my hat off to him. It takes a lot of minerals to do that [continuing on with an injury].
“I’m not here to slate the referee. It’s my opponent’s decision to stay in there and my opponent decided to say, no my arm’s absolutely fine, so you can’t blame this on the referee.”
There was no hard feelings between the pair, however, as Hill released a statement afterwards insisting he had no issues with how things unfolded.
Hill said: “i always respect a warrior and Paul Craig is exactly that.”
Next up for Craig is a bout with a top 10 star, as he aims to become one of the most feared fighters in his division.
He added: “i’m looking for somebody in the top 10, maybe somebody as far down as seven.
“If anyone thinks they’ve got better jujitsu than myself, then come and prove it. I want to be the guy in the rankings that everyone fears.”