Paul Craig: From the Classroom to the Octagon

Up until he signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2016, Paul Craig had been balancing his full-time job as a high school teacher with his fighting career (current odds).

When he had to start taking Fridays off to weigh in for his fights in the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts, a banner under which he claimed the light heavyweight championship, it put a strain on his teaching schedule. So it came as no surprise when his request to take two weeks off to acclimate to the Las Vegas sun for UFC 209 was denied. The Scot has always taken pride in his work with children and genuinely enjoyed teaching, but a few weeks ago, he decided that competing on the biggest mixed martial arts stage in the world had to become his primary focus.

“I’ve taken a six-month sabbatical,” Craig told Sherdog.com from the foyer of the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Sin City, “but that could turn into a year or three for all I know. I barely know what I’m doing in an hour’s time, never mind in six months.”

In nine professional outings, Craig has never gone the distance and has yet to taste defeat. His momentum continued through his Octagon debut at UFC on Fox 22 in December, when he submitted Luis Henrique da Silva with a second-round armbar. It has become common for undefeated fighters to experience anxiety when trying to maintain a perfect record. Craig has no such issues.

“I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but I don’t need to fight for a living,” he said. “I took this up about five years ago. MMA went from being a hobby to a passion to a potential career, and now, all of a sudden, it is my career. I can always go back to being a high school teacher whenever I want. I could have the car, the monthly paycheck and the nice driveway. I could be any other family guy. I’m pursuing this career because I want to be the best I can be.

“I don’t get anxiety about wins or losses,” Craig added. “I’m just gaining life experience. Of course I could lose -- anyone can lose -- but that’s part of the excitement. You never know what’s going to be behind the next corner. Without MMA, I don’t think I would have got the opportunity to visit California or to visit Las Vegas. I’m playing life, and I’m already winning.”

Even though the long-haul flight from Scotland had an impact on his body clock, Craig remained in good spirits. Only a few weeks ago, he was trying to find a balance between fighting and teaching, his abundant obligations proving to be a hindrance.

“I can remember one day after 12 rounds of sparring with a boxer, it took me about 30 minutes to gather myself after training,” Craig said. “The mental aspect of the sport and the physicality all came to a head at once. I just sat in my car and gave myself that half hour alone with my emotions, and honestly, I felt like I needed it. It can be incredibly draining. Even after 12 rounds of boxing, I had to go in and start the day in my full-time job. Then after that, I had to come home and do the family thing. I’d make my daughter her dinner and then get straight back down to the gym after that again. That’s a hectic lifestyle.”

Craig sought counsel nearby, and a few of those conversations worked wonders.

“I spoke to my partner and I spoke to my family,” he said. “The big moment was when I talked to my dad. He told me that I could go back to teaching whenever I want, but I probably couldn’t go back and start my fighting career again. That settled it for me, even though it’s something that could affect a lot more people than me.

“It’s hard for me to say to my partner, ‘Listen darling, I won’t have that paycheck at the end of each month because I want to try to do this fighting thing,’” Craig added, “but I’m very lucky because she wants to support me and this decision as much as she can.”

Craig already feels the benefits of taking a sabbatical from the classroom.

“I’m a lot happier now that I’m just focusing on fighting,” he said. “Between training and work, it was destroying me mentally; and then, without having time to recover properly with the job, I would suffer physically. I feel so much better now that I’ve gone full-time. People always ask me why I want to get punched in the face for a living. The way I see it, everyone tries to better themselves by getting a bigger car, a bigger house or going on a two-week holiday. I don’t want any of that.

“I just want to better myself,” Craig added. “I’m still driving the same Ford Fiesta I’ve always been driving. I don’t put much value in material things. I just want to get better, and that’s what I feel I’m doing.”

Craig will step into the Octagon for the second time when he takes on fellow unbeaten light heavyweight Tyson Pedro as part of the UFC 209 prelims on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Scottish Hit Squad rep has finished all nine of his opponents thus far and hopes to make Pedro his latest victim.

“I’ll take a knockout or a submission,” Craig said. “The only thing I don’t want is for it to go to the judges, not that I think the judges will mess a decision up. I just want everyone to know that I won in a convincing manner. I’ve got high hopes for it being an exciting fight, and I think [the people who run the] UFC do, as well, because they’ve put us at the top of the Fight Pass card. That’s big for me. I’m quite happy with it, so I’m going to make sure I put my best foot forward.”

Craig does not expect to return to the classroom anytime soon. He sees success in the not-too-distant future.

“This is going to be a big wave, and I’m going to ride it,” he said. “I honestly feel like we could get to the end of this six months and I’m going to be in a position to be a world champion.”