Michael Bisping Fears for Paul Craig’s Health as ‘Bloody Elbow’ at UFC Paris Creates Record

The French crowd at UFC Paris really turned up the notch with their chants and reactions, making each fight feel important. Well, fans got their money’s worth, as the fight between Paul Craig and Modestas Bukauskas saw an unusually rare ending to the fight. But unfortunately, the Scottish veteran found himself on the losing side yet again, and that too, with a nasty strike from ‘The Baltic Gladiator’, leaving Michael Bisping, who was commentating, concerned.

Remember the buzzer-beater win Max Holloway scored over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300? Well, something along the same lines happened at UFC Paris when Paul Craig fought Modestas Bukauskas. ‘Bearjew’ tried to launch attacks off of his back after pulling guard during the closing stages of the first round, but he failed to land any meaningful offence. Instead, Bukauskas found himself on top of Craig, and he immediately started hammering the veteran with nasty strikes.

As he kept delivering a barrage of strikes, Paul Craig tried to survive and see through the first round. But just when the round ended, at 5 minutes and zero seconds, Modestas Bukauskas caught the 37-year-old with a nasty elbow, which left Craig “dazed” and “confused,” as per Michael Bisping.

The referee took a second before he deemed the fight a knockout win, as Bukauskas earned his fourth win in a row. What was more interesting was the fact that UFC Paris saw a record being made for the most finishes in a single UFC event, with 11.

Well, it was yet another loss for Paul Craig, who has not been able to get into the title picture in his lengthy run in the UFC. So guess what he did after the fight? ‘Bearjew’ finally decided that it was time to hang up his gloves. Let’s take a look at his final words as a UFC fighter.

“Young eat the old” – Paul Craig retires at UFC Paris

It’s not usual to see the loser of a fight getting a post-fight interview, but Paul Craig did. That’s because the 37-year-old wanted to announce his retirement as he laid down his gloves on the mat. The crowd showered him with praise as he took the microphone to give his last Octagon interview, and with gratitude, Craig said, “Thank you so much for the memories. This is why I do this,” after receiving a positive crowd reaction.

Paul Craig was visibly emotional as he mentioned the sad truth about the sport of mixed martial arts. As many people say, fighting is a young man’s game, and the Scottish veteran is no longer on the younger side of the age group. Understanding the fact that keeping up with the young guns may not be possible for him, Craig added, “In this sport, the young eat the old, and I’m old.”

It’s a sad end for a longtime UFC fighter, as it remains to be seen what’s next for Paul Craig. Meanwhile, let us know what you have to say about the rare finish and ‘Bearjew’s goodbye to the UFC. Share with us your opinion in the comments section below.