Paul Craig has finally spoken out following the sudden cancellation of his recent fight.
The popular Scottish fighter was set to return to the light heavyweight division against Rodolfo Bellato on Saturday night.
However, their planned co-main event at UFC Vegas 106 was abruptly called off moments before it was scheduled to begin, officially citing a ‘medical issue’.
According to Craig, he was warming up backstage when he received the news that his opponent had been withdrawn from the bout because of a skin infection. Bellato himself later clarified on social media that the condition was herpes.
Paul Craig Recounts the Events at UFC Vegas 106
Until recently, Paul Craig had not publicly addressed the cancellation of his co-main event bout at UFC Vegas 106.
On Monday evening, he shared his perspective during a conversation with UFC commentators Michael Bisping and Paul Felder on the “Believe You Me” podcast.
Craig recalled the moment he was informed: “Hunter Campbell comes in and I’m like, ‘Whoa, that’s very unusual’. I don’t know why he’s coming in, he never comes in and wishes me the best of luck.
He continued, “He comes in and says, ‘Look, your opponent has pulled out due to a skin infection’. It’s hard. Have you been in that predicament where you are ready to walk out? I’m talking like 30 minutes.
Craig described his reaction: “It’s almost surreal. You’re frustrated. You wanna kick and hit stuff. Everything you’ve worked for up until that point is kind of ripped away from you.
He also noted how the issue was discovered: “The referee had seen his face. [Jason] Herzog, it was him that seen it. He’s an experienced referee, he knows his stuff and he went and grassed to the commission.”
What Comes Next for Paul Craig?
A new date has already been set for the rescheduled fight between Paul Craig and Rodolfo Bellato, which is now expected to take place in June.
Craig stated it`s now just a matter of finalizing a new contract and resuming training for a few more weeks.
“The fight has been rescheduled and it’s going to be within the month of June,” Craig confirmed.
He explained the delay: “They offered us the 31st [of May], but the 31st in Vegas would have meant I had to have stayed down in Vegas for another two weeks. For me, that’s fine because it’s my job, I’m a fighter, so I’m happy to stay in Vegas.”
He added, “But when you think about coaches who have gyms to run, you’ve got training partners who also have families, and all this kind of stuff.”
“Pushing it to like a month works kind of better for us,” Craig concluded. “That allows us to get home, see the family, get back on a diet, and then start to strip that fat back off.”
