Paul Craig will be rooting for Jamahal Hill on Saturday night.
Craig and Hill fought on the pay-per-view opener at UFC 263 in June of 2021 in a fight many expected Hill to win. Yet, in the first round, Craig got Hill to the mat and got ahold of his arm – which he later dislocated – and the fight was stopped less than two minutes into the scrap.
Since then, however, Hill has been on a lengthy winning streak and will be facing Glover Teixeira for the vacant light heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 283. Also on the card is Craig who is facing Johnny Walker, so Craig says he hopes Hill wins to give him a better chance at getting a rematch for the belt.
Paul Craig on Jamahal Hill
“I’ve got Jamahal Hill taking this victory because not only does it help my career, but I like Jamahal Hill as an athlete and an MMA fighter,” Craig said at UFC 283 media day. “I think he does wonders for the sport. He’s an exciting character, crazy power in his hands and that also leads to, and I’m not looking past Johnny Walker, but it leads to that opportunity to have a run back of that fight, and it gets me one step closer to the title.”
If Paul Craig does beat Johnny Walker at UFC 283, it’s likely he will need a couple more wins to get a title shot. But, having Hill hold the title no doubt gives Craig a better chance at getting the belt, but he knows he needs to beat Walker on Saturday night.
“I need to first and foremost do the business on Saturday against Johnny Walker,” Paul Craig said. “It can’t just be a victory. It has to be a performance. It has to show the levels of my skill, the new acquired striking skills, and the lethal jiu-jitsu. I have to ensure I’m able to hang with a guy like Johnny Walker.”
