Wild upkick KO! Bellato vs Craig vs. ends in chaos — no contest. Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig ended in a no contest at UFC Atlanta after an illegal upkick ended the fight. The drama kicked in just before the end of the first round.
Ballato and Craig were scheduled to have a bout at the co-main event of UFC Vegas 106, but just a few seconds before walkout, the fight was postponed due to medical issues from Bellato.
The bout eventually took place as the main preliminary event at UFC Atlanta, but once more, there was no obvious victor at the end. The bout was declared a no contest when Bellato was unable to continue in the last seconds of the first round due to an unintentional foul.
At UFC Atlanta, what began as a rough and tumble light heavyweight bout evolved into one of the year’s weirdest and most controversial bouts. The violence that the fans expected was delivered — but not in the manner that anyone had anticipated.
Right from the beginning of the fight, both men displayed their strength. Bellato tried to take down Craig with leg kicks, while Craig tried to work the body. About halfway through the round, Bellato gave Craig a punch that rocked him, and when Craig attempted a takedown, Bellato stuffed it and gained top control.
The trouble, however, was on the ground. Craig gave Bellato an illegal upkick as he was grounded on his knees. Bellato was knocked out for a moment by the kick. The kick appeared to do damage, knocking Bellato briefly unconscious before he woke up still scrambling and troubled, apparently unaware of what had just happened.
Referee Kevin McDonald jumped in and stopped the two fighters after he checked on Bellato, and it seemed clear the fighter was dazed and confused from the kick he absorbed.
Replays clearly showed Bellato had one knee down when the upkick landed — which means he was a grounded opponent.
Even though the strike was clearly accidental and fast, it was still illegal. After a video review, the fight was ruled a No Contest due to an accidental foul, since the illegal strike occurred before the end of the first round and the bout hadn’t gone long enough to go to the judges. And just like that, both fighters walked away without a win — and with a whole lot of questions.
To make matters even weirder, some fans started debating whether Bellato was really out cold or if he was trying to sell the foul. He looked rocked, but there were hints of hesitation and odd body language that sent Twitter/X into asking different questions. Was he hurt? Was he acting? Even commentators weren’t sure. Craig himself didn’t argue much — he looked disappointed but calm.
It’s one of those endings that leaves everyone unsatisfied. And whether you think Bellato exaggerated or not, you can’t upkick a grounded opponent. It’s that simple.
