UFC fans are demanding that Dana White remove Rodolfo Bellato from the promotion, alleging he faked being knocked out by an illegal upkick from Paul Craig during their recent bout.
The rescheduled light-heavyweight fight in Atlanta ended in a No Contest after the Brazilian fighter was deemed unable to continue following the kick to the face.
Scottish grappler Craig landed the upkick on Bellato, who was on the canvas with one knee down, just before the first round concluded.
Bellato initially collapsed onto the canvas, appearing to be knocked out by the strike.
However, video replays seemed to show the 29-year-old, a Dana White`s Contender Series contract winner, was still conscious as he fell dramatically to the mat.
Bellato quickly appeared to regain awareness and, seemingly disoriented, moved towards the cage wall to defend himself.
Officials ultimately ruled that the former LFA champion could not continue the fight, resulting in the No Contest decision.
Many MMA fans were unconvinced by Bellato`s reaction, taking to social media to accuse the fighter of faking the injury. Fans demanded the UFC cut him for his apparent play-acting, calling his actions “a complete embarrassment,” “insane,” and a “top tier dive.” Comments included pleas for Dana White to “cut his a** immediately.”
In his post-fight press conference, Paul Craig addressed the speculation that Bellato had faked the injury. He mentioned receiving messages suggesting it looked “a bit floppish, like he was maybe hamming it up.”
Craig expressed reluctance to believe a fellow fighter would look for an easy way out at the pinnacle of their career in the UFC, stating, “We`re all fighters… and we`re looking to put on a performance.”
He acknowledged the public perception, saying, “I can see where people are looking at and think it looks a bit ‘floppishly’, ‘he’s maybe taking a dive.’”
Craig concluded by saying he didn`t necessarily believe it himself but would need to rewatch the footage, calling the situation “raw at the moment.”
Elton Marrow