Brazilian fighter Rodolfo Bellato found himself in a pretty embarrassing, yet highly controversial, situation in his last fight. Taking on the now-retired Paul Craig, the 29-year-old was on the receiving end of a bizarre upkick. The strike, which connected while Bellato had one knee on the canvas, was deemed illegal under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, resulting in a no-contest. Bellato, however, appeared to be knocked out cold, only to suddenly “wake up” after the referee stepped in to call the fight. This strange sequence led to intense debate among fans and fighters about the rules and Bellato’s reaction. Now, the man they call “Trator” is heading back inside the Octagon this weekend at UFC Perth against undefeated local star Navajo Stirling.

Before we get to the fight, let’s learn something about Rodolfo Bellato on a personal note. Like many fighters, he’s also got some tattoos inked on his body. There might be a section of fans wanting to know the story behind it, so here’s what we know about the light heavyweight fighter’s tattoos.

All we know about Rodolfo Bellato’s chest tattoos

Rodolfo Bellato is a relative newcomer in the UFC, with just three fights to his name. Hence, the fighter hasn’t had, nor has he taken, the opportunity to discuss the many tattoos he has. But from what we can see, his chest tattoos have drawn inspiration from Japanese culture. The left side of the chest region features a stylized feline face, inked with cloud-like motifs.

In Japanese culture, this represents either a tiger or a creature from their lore called Komainu, which stands for courage, strength, and protection. On the other side of Rodolfo Bellato’s chest, a blue-faced creature appears, resembling an Oni mask in Japanese culture. These represent strength, warrior mentality, fearlessness, and being guarded from evil spirits. It seems like Bellato also has a love for Japan, like many other fighters on the UFC roster.

Now, let’s move over to the other tattoos inked on the other parts of Rodolfo Bellato’s body. And if you’ve noticed, he’s got both of his arms fully inked up, so let us take a deeper look at those tattoos, and another one that he has on the back of his leg.

Bellato’s other tattoos

Rodolfo Bellato has his arms fully covered with tattoos that appear to be inspired by various themes in Japanese culture. There are koi fish, tigers, waves, and floral patterns on them. The right arm, for instance, features a prominent tiger. This animal often refers to power, resilience, and, of course, determination. This symbol is revered in tattoo symbolism.

Moving over to Rodolfo Bellato’s other hand, we’ll find a koi fish, which is a symbol for good luck, perseverance, and transformation in Japanese culture. And to cap it off, the Brazilian fighter also surrounded his sleeve with cherry blossoms, waves, and scales, which is a classic reference to Japanese culture once again. However, when we take a look, we’ll find Bellato with one tattoo on the back of his left leg.

Rodolfo Bellato’s leg tattoo hasn’t been visible because he’s never posted about it. However, upon closer examination, it appears that the tattoo is a Latin cross, which, of course, symbolizes his Christian faith and values. Well, the 29-year-old doesn’t have as many tattoos as some of his fellow UFC fighters do, but who knows? He may add some more soon. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.