Paul Craig waited months for a showdown with Rodolfo Bellato, but fate had other plans. After their original bout was scrapped due to Bellato’s medical issue, they finally clashed at UFC Atlanta, only for chaos to erupt in Round 1. Craig, while grounded, fired an illegal upkick, prompting referee Kevin MacDonald to halt the fight. But what truly stole the spotlight was Bellato’s reaction; many believe the Brazilian oversold the strike to escape with a no contest. Among the skeptics is none other than Chael Sonnen, who didn’t hold back, accusing Bellato of delivering an Oscar-worthy performance.

While having a conversation on his YouTube handle, Uncle Chael made a deep cut to Bellato’s open wounds: “Dude, it was bad—what he did, man. It was bad. He got kicked, and he turned, and the camera’s just right. So, when they slow it down, he turns to the referee and starts to plead his case. He starts to plead it, and then he goes unconscious. And then he starts flipping.”

So, what happened in that match? Well, Paul Craig was attempting to gain a dominant position over the Brazilian when, just seconds before the end of the opening round, ‘BearJew’ threw an upkick that caught Bellato off guard. While it’s safe to say the kick might not have hurt him much, it appeared to knock him out. Moments later, Bellato scooted toward the cage, looked at the referee, and pointed, urging him to take action.

Safe to say, the MMA community was not convinced by the way the Brazilian stopped the match, especially after waiting months to witness it. Uncle Chael further pointed out the moment that not only caught him off guard but was so unexpected that he burst out laughing, yes, he was literally laughing at the incident, “See, this is where it’s big—and then the crown jewel: he fights with the referee because he thinks the referee is the opponent. So, I mean, he went pretty far with it,” said Sonnen.

He further added, “Dude, it was bad. It was blatantly —–. I mean, oh God, Ryan—he started shootin’ —–. S—, it was so bad. But you know, he didn’t plan to be there. He saw an opportunity, went to take the opportunity. He needed the money. Whatever. It’s not great, but… whatever. Well, not only Chael Sonnen but also Justin Gaethje were disappointed by the performance as well. The fighter took to his X to comment, “Biggest flop in MMA history.” There are way too many allegations, but how is Bellato reacting to them? Let’s have a look at it.

Rodolfo Bellato gives out his initial statement after the UFC Atlanta fiasco

With a career record of 12 wins and 2 losses, Rodolfo Bellato was seen as a game-changer for the UFC roster, ready to shake up the light heavyweight division. However, his performances have been mostly below the belt in his UFC career. The Brazilian boasts a UFC record of 1 win and 1 draw, and he hasn’t stepped into the octagon with any elite competition yet. His showdown with Paul Craig was set to be the crown jewel of his career, but it looks like the fight gods threw a curveball.

Hitting up his Instagram, Bellato dropped a pic of himself along with a lengthy caption breaking down his situation after that upkick,  “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 further 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’ve 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.”

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Paul Craig himself admitted his mistake after the fight, stating that it would be wrong to place all the blame on the Brazilian. However, that hasn’t stopped the wave of criticism directed at Rodolfo Bellato. Following the no-contest, the UFC might consider rebooking their fight, but the question remains: when?