Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC 255 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic?
See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
Paul Craig
Wants to fight: Johnny Walker or Misha Cirkunov
The callout: “It’s taken me four years to get to the top 15. Now I’ve set the goal of getting that title and I want to do it before 2021. That’s what I want, by the end of 2021, I would love to be fighting for that title and taking it off whoever’s got it. I see this title in my reach, maybe two or three fights, we look for guys like Johnny Walker, Cirkunov, those guys in that top 10 and then we’ll be looking at the top five. For that five-rounder, maybe Glover Teixeira, there’s loads of guys around there.”
The reality: After finally settling his business with Mauricio Rua, Paul Craig says the time is right to start targeting some of the fringe contenders at 205 pounds as he looks to make inroads toward the light heavyweight title. In that regard, eyeing matchups with the likes of Walker and Cirkunov certainly makes sense.
Stylistically, the Cirkunov matchup may offer a more appealing route for the Scottish grappler, with the Toronto-based Latvian also favoring a jiu-jitsu-based approach, and if Cirkunov defeats Ryan Spann in his Dec. 19 bout, that could be a potential option.
The problem for Craig is the best options above him in the rankings are all currently coming off wins, which makes booking them to fight someone lower on the list all the tougher for the matchmakers. Craig certainly deserves a step up. It just doesn’t look clear who the most likely next opponent is.
Deiveson Figueiredo
Wants to fight: Brandon Moreno
The callout: “I want to face Brandon Moreno, Dana make this happen, that’s the fight that I want to happen.”
The reality: It’s happening! The featured flyweight prelim bout between Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval was considered by many to be a de-facto No. 1 contender fight, and Moreno’s resounding victory means that, with Cody Garbrandt currently out of action, “The Assassin Baby” stands alone as the top contender in the flyweight division. It’s great to see a champion calling for the top contender and, in this case, he’ll get his wish. With both men coming through their respective fights with quick finishes, the UFC has moved swiftly to book Figueiredo and Moreno to make a 21-day turnaround to face off for the title at UFC 256 on Dec. 12