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#4. Paul Craig vs. Thiago Santos
Another possible opponent for Craig is former title challenger and all-around terrifying Thiago Santos. With 15 of 22 wins coming via KO/TKO, 'Marreta' is a scary outing for anyone nearing the top of the light heavyweight division.
Since his 2019 attempt to dethrone Jon Jones, things have been rough for Santos. Santos destroyed his knee in this fight, which led to a layoff lasting over a year. Since then, he's gone 1-3 against the top of the division.
Regardless of Craig's win streak and Santos' lack thereof, 'Bearjew' will still be fighting upward in the rankings, which he more than deserves at this point in his career.
This fight is much more entertaining because it is winnable for either athlete. Santos could very well clip Craig's chin and knock him out. On the other hand, 'Bearjew' could bait 'Marreta' into being a little too wild with his strikes and catch him with a submission.
#3. Paul Craig vs. Magomed Ankalaev
Magomed Ankalaev would have a 17-0 professional record tethered to his name if it weren't for a very crafty Paul Craig with a literal last-second submission. The triangle choke spoiled Ankalaev's promotional debut, but he's gone 8-0 since.
While the Russian is well-deserving of a title shot, both the champion and former champion are booked, meaning that things at light heavyweight are very tempestuous at the moment. The landscape of the UFC is constantly changing, and the division will wait for no one.
An immediate rematch could put a hold on the title, or the winner of Blachowitz and Rakic could take the next stab at the title -- Ankalaev would be wise to stay busy, and what better way than attempting to avenge his lone loss?
