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Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
UFC fighter breaks his silence on bizarre moment he 'QUIT' during fight against Paul Craig as he hits back at fans after a torrent of abuse on social media
Rodolfo Bellato has spoken out after accusations from fans that he allegedly pretended to be knocked out at UFC Atlanta on Saturday. Bellato was fighting Scotland's Paul Craig only for the bout to be labelled a no-contest following an illegal kick by the Scot. Once the kick landed, Bellato's strange behaviour prompted criticism. As he fell to the canvass, he was complaining to the referee. Once on the floor, he appeared knocked out only to quickly regain consciousness. As the referee attempted to explain to him that the fight was over due to the illegal kick, Bellato bizarrely tried to wrestle the official. Plenty of fans took to social media to accuse Bellato of dramatising the extent of the damage in a bid to get Craig disqualified. Paul Craig vs. Rodolfo Bellato has been ruled a no contest. #UFCAtlanta | LIVE on TNT Sports & discovery+ — UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) June 15, 2025 'Anyone who knows me the longest knows I would NEVER do this' said Bellato on Instagram 'Anyone who's known me the longest knows I would NEVER do this, I've never run from war,' said Bellato on Instagram. 'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff... 'The moment I was on the ground, I didn't expect to get kicked in the face (illegally)..'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff...'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff... 'It was a strong kick, when I looked at the judge to complain, my whole body began to tingle and my vision disappeared.. 'After that I don't remember anything. 'Why would I fake something after all I been through and on top of that winning the first round? 'I thank all the real ones for the positive messages. God is in charge.' Speaking after the fight, Craig acknowledged that his upkick was illegal and refused to humour the allegations against Bellato.
CNN
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
UFC fighter says don't ‘persecute' opponent after ‘illegal move' led to controversial no contest ending
Paul Craig has told fans not to 'persecute' Rodolfo Bellato after the pair's UFC fight on Saturday ended in a controversial no contest due to an illegal upkick from Craig. As the end of the first round of their light-heavyweight fight in Atlanta's State Farm Arena approached, Craig – while on his back – threw a kick up at Bellato, connecting with the Brazilian's head and neck area. Bellato fell to the floor with his arms above his head before the referee stepped in and deemed it an accidental foul from Craig, resulting in a no contest. Bellato was criticized after the fight for perhaps exaggerating the extent of his injury; former MMA fighter Justin Lesko called it 'embarrassing' and questioned whether it was the 'worst flop in UFC history or was Rodolfo Bellato really hurt against Paul Craig?' In response to the criticism he received after the fight, Bellato defended his actions, writing on Instagram: 'I saw some things on the internet, saying that I was an actor and so and so forth. When I was on the ground, I didn't expect to get kicked in the face (illegally). 'It was a strong kick, when I looked at the judge to complain, my whole body started to tingle and my vision disappeared … after that I don't remember anything. 'Those who have known me a long time know that I would NEVER do that, I have never run away from a fight. I made the weight twice in less than 30 days, two trips in a row. Why would I fake something, after everything I've been through and on top of that winning the first round? 'I thank all the real ones for the positive messages.' Speaking to the media after the fight, Craig admitted that he had used an 'illegal move' and defended his 29-year-old opponent's actions. 'A few people have messaged me regarding (Bellato's conduct) and are saying that it looked a bit 'floppish,' like he was maybe hamming it up,' the 37-year-old said. 'I don't want to think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We're all fighters, we're all in the UFC – the pinnacle of our careers – and we're looking to put on performances. But I can see where people are looking at it and think it looks a bit 'floppish,' like he's maybe taking a dive. I don't want to think that.' Craig and Bellato's fight had been postponed from 14 weeks ago after the Brazilian fell ill on the day of the bout. Craig was entering Saturday's event with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, coming in off a three-fight loss streak. And the controversial ending left the Scot feeling 'raw,' especially as he made a step up in weight to face Bellato – the final fight on his UFC contract. 'I was in the neutral corner, I was looking over and I was seeing him kind of flop like he was trying to wrestle the referee and he was dazed,' Craig said. 'But when I spoke to him, he seemed pretty compos mentis. He was like: 'I don't know what happened.' 'You know what, it's my fault as much as it is his fault. We shouldn't be looking to persecute him if he's taking the knee. It was an illegal move.' Craig did see the positives in the fight ending in a no contest rather than another loss, but was frustrated about not winning once more. 'I'm now in the best shape I've ever been in,' he said. 'I was wanting to make a stamp in that division and say: 'Hey, I'm back.' 'I've got to take positives from it. I felt good in there and I was moving well. I was landing my shots and my shot selection was perfect. 'But, in the heat of the moment, I thought he was standing up, so I've thrown my axe kick, looking to land a heavy upkick to his face. That was my intention and that's why it's gone down as a no contest.'
CNN
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
UFC fighter says don't ‘persecute' opponent after ‘illegal move' led to controversial no contest ending
Paul Craig has told fans not to 'persecute' Rodolfo Bellato after the pair's UFC fight on Saturday ended in a controversial no contest due to an illegal upkick from Craig. As the end of the first round of their light-heavyweight fight in Atlanta's State Farm Arena approached, Craig – while on his back – threw a kick up at Bellato, connecting with the Brazilian's head and neck area. Bellato fell to the floor with his arms above his head before the referee stepped in and deemed it an accidental foul from Craig, resulting in a no contest. Bellato was criticized after the fight for perhaps exaggerating the extent of his injury; former MMA fighter Justin Lesko called it 'embarrassing' and questioned whether it was the 'worst flop in UFC history or was Rodolfo Bellato really hurt against Paul Craig?' In response to the criticism he received after the fight, Bellato defended his actions, writing on Instagram: 'I saw some things on the internet, saying that I was an actor and so and so forth. When I was on the ground, I didn't expect to get kicked in the face (illegally). 'It was a strong kick, when I looked at the judge to complain, my whole body started to tingle and my vision disappeared … after that I don't remember anything. 'Those who have known me a long time know that I would NEVER do that, I have never run away from a fight. I made the weight twice in less than 30 days, two trips in a row. Why would I fake something, after everything I've been through and on top of that winning the first round? 'I thank all the real ones for the positive messages.' Speaking to the media after the fight, Craig admitted that he had used an 'illegal move' and defended his 29-year-old opponent's actions. 'A few people have messaged me regarding (Bellato's conduct) and are saying that it looked a bit 'floppish,' like he was maybe hamming it up,' the 37-year-old said. 'I don't want to think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We're all fighters, we're all in the UFC – the pinnacle of our careers – and we're looking to put on performances. But I can see where people are looking at it and think it looks a bit 'floppish,' like he's maybe taking a dive. I don't want to think that.' Craig and Bellato's fight had been postponed from 14 weeks ago after the Brazilian fell ill on the day of the bout. Craig was entering Saturday's event with a lot of pressure on his shoulders, coming in off a three-fight loss streak. And the controversial ending left the Scot feeling 'raw,' especially as he made a step up in weight to face Bellato – the final fight on his UFC contract. 'I was in the neutral corner, I was looking over and I was seeing him kind of flop like he was trying to wrestle the referee and he was dazed,' Craig said. 'But when I spoke to him, he seemed pretty compos mentis. He was like: 'I don't know what happened.' 'You know what, it's my fault as much as it is his fault. We shouldn't be looking to persecute him if he's taking the knee. It was an illegal move.' Craig did see the positives in the fight ending in a no contest rather than another loss, but was frustrated about not winning once more. 'I'm now in the best shape I've ever been in,' he said. 'I was wanting to make a stamp in that division and say: 'Hey, I'm back.' 'I've got to take positives from it. I felt good in there and I was moving well. I was landing my shots and my shot selection was perfect. 'But, in the heat of the moment, I thought he was standing up, so I've thrown my axe kick, looking to land a heavy upkick to his face. That was my intention and that's why it's gone down as a no contest.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Fans accuse Brazilian UFC star of FAKING KO after bizarre no-contest following illegal kick by Scotland's Paul Craig
UFC fans have taken to social media to accuse Rodolfo Bellato of 'flopping' after his fight with Paul Craig ended in a no contest. On Saturday night the UFC returned to Atlanta, Georgia with a Fight Night card headlined by a welterweight clash between former champion Kamaru Usman and surging contender Joaquin Buckley. On the preliminary portion of the event, Scotland's Craig returned to the 205lb division looking to end a three-fight losing streak. Craig had initially been scheduled to face Bellato at an event last month before the fight was hastily postponed when the Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to a herpes infection. When the pair finally did meet in the Octagon neither man was able to assert themselves in the early going in the striking range. Bellato secured top position from a failed Craig takedown and looked set to end the fight in his opponent's guard before an illegal upkick with seconds left in the round sent him crashing to the canvas. The unified rules of MMA classify a fighter as downed when any part of their body is touching the mat other than their hands and feet. After appearing to gesture towards the referee immediately after the illegal strike, Bellato then fell unconscious to the mat. The fight was subsequently ruled a no contest rather than a disqualification as the referee ruled Craig had not intentionally committed the foul. Bellato's actions following the strike sparked passionate discourse on social media, with some fans accusing him of attempting to get his opponent disqualified. One wrote: 'That was some terrible acting lmao the UFC brass ain't gonna like that.' Another agreed: 'Flopped but up kicks aren't allowed. Super weird tho.' A third added: 'I haven't watched for a while but saw this and thought legit. Then one of the commentators kept saying he'd never seen anything like it. 'They then showed the above vision and it's not a natural flop for being knocked out. Then the carry on!' The controversial incident sparked an intense debate among MMA fans on social media Speaking following the fight Craig - who holds a win over current UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev - expressed his frustration with how the fight ended. 'A few people have messaged me regarding [the finish] and they're saying that it looked a bit floppish, like he was maybe hamming it up.' Craig said. 'I don't want to think that any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. 'We're all fighters we are all in the UFC in the pinnacle of our careers and we are looking to put on performances. 'I can see where people are looking at it where it looks a bit floppish like he's maybe taken a dive. I don't want to think that but I'll need to watch it back. It's raw at the moment.' He continued: 'It's my fault as much as it is his fault.
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Boxing world champion set to have controversial win OVERTURNED after rare use of video replay
WORLD champion Emanuel Navarrete is set to have his win over Charly Suarez changed to a no-contest after a rare use of video replay. Mexican Navarrete was defending his WBO super-featherweight title in San Diego when he was cut above his left eyebrow in round six. 2 By the eighth, ringside physician Dr. Robert Ruelaz ruled the fight needed to be stopped with Navarrete's vision impaired. Per the rules of boxing, if a cut is caused by a punch and the bout is stopped it results in a TKO. But, if deemed to have been caused by a headbutt then the fight goes to the judges scorecards at the time of the stoppage. In this case, Navarrete led on the cards and was awarded a technical decision - retaining his 130lb title. Video replay was used on the night and official Jack Reiss said there was no conclusive evidence to deem that a punch caused the cut. Footage revealed a swiping left hook landing on Navarrete before the two came together shortly afterwards - making it unclear where the cut was caused. But, in a subsequent review days after the bout, the California State Athletic Commission now look set to overturn the result, BoxingScene report. It marks a rare occasion when a fight is overturned using replays in the days following the bout. Had the punch been deemed to have caused the cut on the night of the fight it would have crowned Suarez as the new champ. But, if Navarrete's win is indeed overturned to a no-contest then he will still retain the title with a rematch expected to be called. He said after the fight: 'I felt it was a headbutt. I saw the review. It seems like a punch, but it exploded two layers of skin. 'I didn't want it to end. I was fine to keep going. I felt like the best rounds were still to come. But the doctor stopped the fight. 'He would be a great opponent. He is a great opponent. So a rematch would be good.' Suarez added: 'I thought I had a chance to win the fight. I had five more rounds to try to win." 2
