Scottish light heavyweight Paul Craig will compete against Brazilian prospect Rodolfo Bellato in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Morales on May 17, 2025, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Craig, also known as "BearJew," is back in the 205-pound class following a difficult time at middleweight, when he lost three straight fights to Bo Nickal, Caio Borralho, and Brendan Allen. Craig, who has a 17-9-1 professional record, understands the importance of this fight.

The light heavyweight contest, which is part of a fight night that features a welterweight fight between Gilbert Burns and Michael Morales as the main event, is slated to go three rounds. Bellato wants to establish himself as a top contender in the division, while Craig sees this fight as a turning point in his UFC career. These fights can be watched live in India on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV on 18 May at 4:30 AM.

In an exclusive conversation with Times Now, Paul Craig revealed his decision to move back to Light Heavyweight after a disappointing stint at the Middleweight. He believed that his size would give him an advantage at the 185lb division but realised he had some of his best work at the 205.

"Every single fight you're going is a big challenge. I especially fight at the level of UFC, but I made the decision to move back to Light Heavyweight. I believe it's a place where I did some of my best work, getting victories over Jamahal Hill, Ankalaev, Nikita Krylov. So I believe that I've done a lot of good work there. When I moved to middleweight, I thought it was a good idea. I thought I could use my size and my athleticism down there," said Paul Craig talking about his upcoming fight.

"But my adventure as a middleweight didn't actually pan out the way I wanted it. So it made sense to take a couple of months off after the loss to try and pack on some masks. And then from putting on the mask, when the UFC came off of this fight, we better hand off them for it. It's a very good fight for us. You know?"

"Rodolfo Bellato is a very experienced mixed martial artist, but I do believe that I have a little bit more experience. You know, I've been in there with who's who in the Light Heavyweight division as well as the Middleweight, And I do think that's what's gonna stand me in good state on Saturday night,"

The 29-year-old Brazilian Bellato comes into the bout with a 12-2-1 record and is fresh off a fierce draw with Jimmy Crute. Bellato, who is well-known for his forceful striking and strong takedown defense, presents a serious obstacle for Craig, who mostly depends on his grappling abilities.

In terms of statistics, Craig hits 2.52 significant strikes per minute with 44% accuracy, whereas Bellato hits 6.28 significant strikes per minute with 62% accuracy. Given that he has won 13 of his 17 fights by submission, Craig's chances of winning probably rest on his ability to submit opponents.

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