Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig ended in a no-contest at UFC Atlanta after an illegal upkick from Craig, with controversy over Bellato’s reaction and the referee’s decision to call the kick accidental.
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig ended in a no-contest at UFC Atlanta. An illegal upkick stopped the fight, but not without controversy.
Just before the first round ended, Bellato stood over Craig, delivering ground-and-pound. Suddenly, Bellato dove into Craig’s guard, and Craig unleashed a kick that sent Bellato flying.
Referee Kevin McDonald halted the fight. Bellato appeared dazed and confused from the impact.
Watch the sequence below:
Replays raised questions about Bellato’s condition after the kick. As he fell, he looked at the referee, then his eyes closed, appearing knocked out.
The fight ended at 4:59 in the first round.
It was an unreal sequence. Replays showed Bellato’s knee was down, making Craig’s kick illegal. Instead of disqualification, McDonald called it “accidental,” leading to a no-contest.
The replays sparked debate about whether Bellato was truly knocked out.
In the end, both fighters left with a no-contest after a bizarre end to Saturday’s UFC Atlanta prelims.