BOUTSCOUT
Matchup deep-dive

Modestas Bukauskas vs.
Paul Craig

Two full careers, measured against each man's own division and against each other — the tape, the read, and every number behind them.

8-5-0 Modestas Bukauskas · UFC
9-10-1 (1 NC) Paul Craig · UFC
Tale of the tape

The men, measured.

Frame, age, layoff and recent form — green marks the edge on each line.

8-5-0
UFC record
9-10-1 (1 NC)
Light Heavyweight
Division (benchmark)
Light Heavyweight
32
AgeΔ 6 yrs
38
6'3"
HeightΔ 0"
6'3"
76"
ReachΔ 0"
76"
Switch
Stance
Orthodox
2.7
Layoff (months)Δ 8.3 mo
11
WLWWW
Last 5 (newest first)
LNCLLL
The read

What the numbers say.

Scouting notes, auto-generated — only stats deviating more than 25% from the division median make this list. No narratives, just deviations.

Paul Craig is a submission threat — 1.34 attempts per 15 minutes, vs a 0.27 Light Heavyweight norm.
Modestas Bukauskas rarely shoots — 0.23 takedowns per 15 minutes, vs a 0.87 Light Heavyweight norm.
Paul Craig hunts takedowns — 1.43 per 15 minutes, vs a 0.87 Light Heavyweight norm.
Level of competition

Who did they actually beat?

Full-career records re-graded by the tier of opposition — the same grading the Contender Series pick model uses. Records built on tier-4 competition are worth less than records built on killers.

Modestas Bukauskas

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 85
Tier 2 — LFA / Cage Warriors (feeder belts) 71
Tier 3 — regional circuit 51

Tier-weighted record quality: 1.19 · 15 tier-1/2 wins · 14 finish wins over 27 documented bouts

In the UFC: 1-3 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +0.3 wins over .500

Paul Craig

Competition tierWL
Tier 1 — UFC / DWCS / PFL / Bellator / ONE / Rizin 910
Tier 3 — regional circuit 80

Tier-weighted record quality: 0.89 · 9 tier-1/2 wins · 17 finish wins over 29 documented bouts

In the UFC: 5-7 against opponents who walked in above .500 · avg opponent walk-in record +1.5 wins over .500

Striking

The stand-up battle.

Career totals; norms are the medians of each man's own division.

Significant strikes — landed & absorbed

4113.14/min · norm 3.41
Sig. strikes landed
4212.50/min · norm 3.41
5053.86/min · norm 3.35
Sig. strikes absorbed
5113.04/min · norm 3.35
43.0%norm 48.3%
Striking accuracy
45.4%norm 48.3%
50.5%norm 52.9%
Striking defense
43.4%norm 52.9%
10.11/15 · norm 0.40
Knockdowns
10.09/15 · norm 0.40

Where the fight happens (share of sig. strike attempts)

Modestas Bukauskas

Distance 91.4% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 5.7% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 2.9% (norm 10.4%)

Paul Craig

Distance 78.4% (norm 80.5%) · Clinch 8.6% (norm 8.6%) · Ground 12.9% (norm 10.4%)

What they throw (share of sig. strike attempts by target)

Modestas Bukauskas

Head 85.8% (norm 79.2%) · Body 9.2% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 5.0% (norm 9.7%)

Paul Craig

Head 68.3% (norm 79.2%) · Body 21.8% (norm 11.7%) · Legs 9.9% (norm 9.7%)

Zone accuracy matrix Landed / attempted by zone

Green ≥ division median, red below. UFCStats tracks position and target as separate splits.

Zone Bukauskas L/AAccLight Heavyweight med Craig L/AAccLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 355 / 873 40.7% 41.4% 283 / 728 38.9% 41.4%
In the clinch 37 / 54 68.5% 70.9% 57 / 80 71.2% 70.9%
On the ground 19 / 28 67.9% 72.3% 81 / 120 67.5% 72.3%
BY TARGET
To the head 297 / 819 36.3% 38.9% 211 / 634 33.3% 38.9%
To the body 70 / 88 79.5% 71.9% 133 / 202 65.8% 71.9%
To the legs 44 / 48 91.7% 81.8% 77 / 92 83.7% 81.8%

Zones with fewer than 25 attempts are marked "too few to rate". Each fighter is measured against the median of leaderboard-eligible fighters in his own division (Light Heavyweight: 93 fighters · Light Heavyweight: 93 fighters).

What lands on them Opponents' accuracy against each man

Green ≤ division median — harder to hit than the typical man in his division.

Zone vs Bukauskas L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med vs Craig L/AOpp accLight Heavyweight med
BY POSITION
At distance 442 / 941 47.0% 40.4% 281 / 584 48.1% 40.4%
In the clinch 54 / 67 80.6% 68.7% 49 / 60 81.7% 68.7%
On the ground 9 / 13 too few to rate 70.4% 181 / 259 69.9% 70.4%
BY TARGET
To the head 202 / 637 31.7% 37.5% 353 / 713 49.5% 37.5%
To the body 176 / 230 76.5% 72.3% 78 / 97 80.4% 72.3%
To the legs 127 / 154 82.5% 83.0% 80 / 93 86.0% 83.0%
Grappling

The ground war.

Takedowns, control and submissions — career totals with each man's per-minute rates against his division norm.

266.7% acc · 0.23/15 · norm 0.87
Takedowns landed
1618.8% acc · 1.43/15 · norm 0.87
2382.1% def · norm 66.7%
Takedowns stopped
635.3% def · norm 66.7%
14:2111.0% of cage time · norm 16.5%
Control time
22:4913.6% of cage time · norm 16.5%
19:362:14 per 15 · norm 2:48
Time under control
62:195:33 per 15 · norm 2:48
10.11/15 · norm 0.27
Submission attempts
151.34/15 · norm 0.27

Bars compare the two men's rates (per-minute / per-15 figures), not raw totals — Craig has more cage time on record.

Next move

Let the engine settle it.