"I've never run from war" - Rodolfo Bellato breaks silence following illegal upkick knockout controversy at UFC Atlanta
An entertaining prelim bout at UFC Atlanta ended in uproar after Paul Craig landed an illegal up kick on Rodolfo Bellato just seconds before the first round ended. Bellato had Craig grounded and was working from the top position when the heel caught him flush in the face.
The referee immediately stepped in and waved it off, and the fight was declared a no contest. Several fans then took to social media to accuse Bellato of faking, calling his reaction theatrical and questioning whether he was truly hurt.
Bellato has now broken his silence and dismissed any claims of acting. He explained that the illegal kick triggered an instant and overwhelming physical response. He said his body began tingling, his vision disappeared, and he remembers nothing that followed.
Addressing the backlash through an Instagram post, Bellato wrote:
"God knows about all things! To everyone cheering for me, I'm in good health and will be back soon. Thank you so much! And 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].. 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 dont remember anything."
He added:
"Anyone who's known me the longest knows I would NEVER do this, I've never run from war. I hit 2x in less than 30 days, 2 trips in a row. Why would I fake something after all I been through and on top of that winning the first round? In the end ... I thank all the real ones for the positive messages. God is in charge!"
Check out Rodolfo Bellato's Instagram post below:
Paul Craig urges fans to ease up on Rodolfo Bellato after UFC Atlanta chaos
Paul Craig addressed the growing backlash toward his opponent after a bizarre no-contest against Rodolfo Bellato at UFC Atlanta.
While the foul was clear, Bellato’s delayed reaction drew skepticism, with many questioning whether he exaggerated the impact. Craig, however, chose not to feed the narrative. He acknowledged the kick was his mistake and refused to blame Bellato for how things unfolded.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, he urged fans to stop attacking a fellow fighter’s integrity and said:
"I wouldn't think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We're all fighters, we're all in the UFC at the pinnacle of our careers, and we're looking to put on performances. But I can see where people are looking at it like it looks a bit 'flop'ish, like he's taking a dive. I don't want to think that, but I need to watch it back." [H/t: MMA Junkie]
Check out Paul Craig's comments below (1:45):