Best and worst from UFC Fight Night 159: Rodriguez vs. Stephens

#2 Best: Paul Craig’s fantastic finish

Paul Craig choked out Vinicius Moreira in a great showing for the Scotsman

Scotland’s Paul Craig has always been a fascinating fighter to watch at 205lbs; not the best athlete, ‘Bearjew’ has made a name for himself by picking up come-from-behind wins, as he did against dangerous foes like Kennedy Nzechukwu and Magomed Ankalaev.

Unfortunately, a fighter can’t survive like that in the UFC and with four losses in his seven Octagon outings, Craig had his back to the wall in his fight with Vinicius Moreira last night.

Incredibly though, the Scotsman pulled off probably the best showing of his UFC career to take out the Brazilian in the first round, giving us the second-best finish of the night after Steven Peterson’s spinning backfist.

After a brief grappling exchange, Craig levelled Moreira with a pair of knees to the head before dropping to submit the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert with a rear naked choke.

Not only should the win keep Craig’s head above water in the UFC for at least a few more fights, but it also showed some flashes of improvement too, as he appeared to be quicker and stronger than he’d seemed before. Can he develop into a contender now? Stranger things have happened!