Paul Craig: Scot fighter admits to ‘illegal move’ in controversial ‘no contest’

“I don’t want to think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We’re all fighters, we’re all in the UFC – the pinnacle of of our careers – and we’re looking to put on performances. But I can see where people are looking at it and think it looks a bit floppish, like he’s maybe taking a dive.”

Craig admitted it was “raw at the moment” but did not want to think that might be the case.

“I was in the neutral corner, I was looking over and I was seeing him kind of flop like he was trying to wrestle the referee and he was in a daze, but when I spoke to him, he seemed pretty compos mentis and he was like, ‘I don’t know what happened’,” he added.

“You know what, it’s my fault as much as it is his fault. We shouldn’t be looking to persecute him if he’s taking taken the knee – it was an illegal move.”

To make matters worse for Craig, he had moved back up a weight hoping to put a three-loss streak behind him in what was the final fight of his current UFC contract.

“I’m now in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” he said. “I was wanting to make a stamp in that division and say, hey, I am back.

“I’ve got to take positives from it. I felt good in there and I was moving well. I was landing my shots and my shot selection was perfect.

“But, in the heat of the moment, I thought he was standing up, so I throw my axe kick, looking to land a heavy upkick to his face.”

Craig pointed out that a no-contest was at least not as bad as another defeat and is hopeful of a rematch with Bellato.

If not, he is willing to go up against “any light-heavyweight the UFC offers” and believes he could even repeat his 2018 win over current champion Magomed Ankalaev if given the chance.