‘This is only job where I’ve been pleased to get punched in the face’

Once nan biggest spotlight of his profession had been switched off, Paul Craig sat and stewed successful nan darkness.

He had fulfilled his dream of becoming nan first Scottish combatant to main arena a UFC card. His look was connected nan poster. His sanction was apical of nan bill.

And he lost.

While Brendan Allen celebrated submitting nan Jui-Jitsu achromatic belt, Craig wondered if it was clip to time off this athletics of blustering brutality and find thing new.

It was a fleeting infinitesimal of fallibility. Now 36, his intent has ne'er been clearer.

"I conscionable had this thing, is fighting astatine 35 for me?," nan Airdrie autochthonal tells BBC Scotland.

“The reply aft that conflict was 100% yes. We had a spot of a bump successful nan road.

“It comes down to loving this job. I’ve done galore jobs, this is nan only 1 I’ve ne'er been sacked from.

"This is nan only occupation I’ve woke up connected a Monday greeting and been pleased to get punched successful nan face.”

A profession light-heavyweight, Craig made nan driblet down to 185lbs successful hunt of a caller slate.

His caller peers were put connected announcement pinch nan Scot’s demolition of Brazilian Andre Muniz successful London.

That awesome showing earned nan yet unsuccessful main arena slot against Allen successful nan acold much tame surroundings of nan UFC Apex – a glorified training centre successful Las Vegas.

But Craig isn’t a combatant to beryllium confined to nan echoey corridors. He’s a showman wired to thrive successful nan astir dispute of atmospheres.

In hunt of redemption for his high-profile loss, he’ll walk this Saturday locked successful nan cage pinch Caio Borralho, an undefeated rising prima pinch thousands of Brazilians backing their location state leader astatine UFC 301.

Daunting? Not for Craig.

With saltire swaddled complete his shoulders, he’ll participate nan lion’s den successful Rio de Janeiro pinch nan insouciance of man who has been astir this artifact before.

“I deliberation it’s conscionable nan Scottishness successful me, we’ve ever been nan underdog. I’ve bought a profession connected upsetting that," he says.

“To spell to places for illustration Brazil and person everyone booing you, chanting that you’re going to die, it’s exciting. It gets you pumped.

“Every man should cognize what it’s for illustration to acquisition that overmuch hatred. A afloat arena wishing decease upon you.

“It’s thing nan mean punter won’t experience. I relish it.”

But Craig has been astir for agelong capable to cognize really this crippled works.

His redemption arc isn’t nan logic nan 36-year-old has been sent to South America. He’s location to beryllium different sanction connected nan database of Borralho’s fallen foes.

“The UFC haven’t decided to return maine to Rio for nan purposes of rebuilding me,” he says. “They’ve sewage a young, imaginable star.

"But I’ve made my profession of upsetting nan position of what nan UFC want. You put maine successful beforehand of personification pinch thing to lose, and I’ll make judge they suffer it.

“If this conflict pans retired nan measurement I deliberation it’s going to cookware out, I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a very bully nighttime for Paul Craig.”

Last clip he stepped into nan Octagon, it was a very bad nighttime for Paul Craig.

Social media chimed pinch calls for him to discontinue and this proud combatant pondered whether his clip was up.

Having collected his thoughts, remembering each he knows astir nan highs and lows of nan athletics he loves unconditionally, Craig still believes nan acme is successful sight.

“If I support believing, it’s going to travel true. You’re only ever 2 aliases 3 fights distant from being successful contention to beryllium nan UFC middleweight world champion.

“The tagline for maine is 'the champion is yet to come'. I’m conscionable getting into nan stride of being nan champion type of Paul Craig. At UFC 301, nan champion is yet to come.”