UFC ace Paul Craig to embark on gruelling Help for Heroes charity bike ride
Paul Craig will take part in Help for Heroes Battlefield Bike Ride just days after a major fight
UFC star Paul Craig is embarking on a 250-mile bike ride just days after taking on Rodolfo Bellato at UFC Atlanta.
The Airdrie 37-year-old lands on Sunday from the US and heads straight to Buckingham Palace on Monday, to take part in the Help for Heroes Battlefield Bike Ride.
The route, from the palace in London to Rheine in Germany from June 16 to 21 is the path that World War II Allies took over five days, and marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Craig originally had a month between his fight and the challenge, but the bout against Bellato in May was postponed 30 minute before when his Brazilian opponent had 'facial herpes'.
Instead, the two go head-to-head in the US tonight.
The popular fighter said: 'We're straight into a charity bike ride. I was meant to have that on May 17, so that would give me enough time.
'Because the fight was moved, I have to do the fight and then the five-day bike ride.
'It's from Buckingham Palace to Germany, and it's the route that the soldiers from World War II would have taken.
'It was a great idea when I signed up for it and there was a month's buffer between the fight and this, but the last thing I want to do is pull out from this.
'I think it's a great opportunity, not only for me but to help a charity.'
Craig was moments away from taking part in UFC Vegas last month.
He said: 'We were in our fight kit, in our gloves. Our hands were wrapped up, the commission had already taped off our hands, signed off our gloves, all that sort of stuff.
'Then the head of the UFC comes in and there are only a few things that can see the UFC brass in your locker room – you've messed up, or somebody else has messed up, and it was the latter, so the fight was pulled.
'At that moment you're already switched on to go to war, and then it's about switching back off, so there were all these emotions in my head.
'We had worked so hard for 10 weeks to be ready for a fight, and not to get the outcome is horrible.
'But that's part of this sport, part of being an athlete.'
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