Rodolfo Bellato has vehemently dismissed suggestions that he intentionally faked his reaction during his recent bout.
Bellato competed against Paul Craig at UFC Atlanta this past Saturday, a fight that drew unwanted attention due to a controversial ending. Near the conclusion of the first round, with Bellato in top control, Craig landed an illegal upkick. The subsequent moments were peculiar, as Bellato appeared to gesture towards referee Kevin MacDonald while falling backward before seemingly losing consciousness completely.
This unusual sequence prompted widespread speculation online that Bellato might have exaggerated his injury hoping to secure a win via disqualification. Bellato, known as “Trator,” directly addressed and denied these claims in his first public comments since the fight.
He stated, “God knows about everything! To everyone supporting me, I`m in good condition and will recover quickly – thank you immensely!”
Regarding the online discussions, he added, “And I saw some things on the internet, saying I was acting there and such… in that moment on the ground, I wasn`t expecting to be kicked in the face (illegally)… it was a powerful kick, when I looked at the referee to protest, my entire body started to tingle, and my vision vanished… after that, I remember nothing.”
“Anyone who has known me for a long time understands I would NEVER do something like this, I`ve never avoided a fight. I made weight twice in less than 30 days, with two consecutive trips. Why would I pretend after everything I`ve gone through, and on top of that, winning the first round? Anyway…”
“I thank all the genuine people for the positive messages. God is in control.”
Ultimately, the fight was declared a No-Contest. Following the bout, Craig, whose UFC contract concluded with this fight, expressed his desire for the promotion to reschedule the matchup later in the year.
