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Paul Craig Awarded BJJ Black Belt Over Beers Following UFC 263 Win

Ben Coate

On June 12 at UFC 263, light heavyweight fighter Paul “Bearjew” Craig picked up what might have been the best win of his career when he defeated previously-unbeaten Jamahal Hill. Craig used his excellent submission skills to dislocate Hill’s arm before ultimately finishing the fight with ground strikes. Following the win, Craig was awarded his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

One of Craig’s training partners, Chris Bungard, posted video of the promotion, which took place over a round of celebratory beers. Craig was awarded his black belt by Brian Gallacher.

Although Craig’s fight at UFC 263 was ruled a technical knockout, it was his jiu-jitsu (coupled with the referee inexplicably missing the injury and Hill’s attempts to tap) that sealed the victory. That’s nothing new for Paul Craig, as 13 of his 15 career wins have come by way of submisison. With the victory over Hill, Craig is now riding a five-fight unbeaten streak dating back to 2019.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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