Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig ended in a no-contest at UFC Atlanta after an illegal upkick ended the fight, but not without some controversy along the way.
The bizarre sequence played out just before the end of the first round with Bellato standing over top of Craig while trying to deliver ground-and-pound. Bellato eventually dove back down into his opponent’s guard and that’s when Craig unloaded the kick that blasted the Brazilian and sent him flying backwards.
Referee Kevin McDonald stopped the contest after he checked on Bellato and it seemed clear the fighter was dazed and confused from the kick he absorbed.
Watch the sequence below:
Bro what the hell? #UFCAtlanta pic.twitter.com/HVm5zgy2Tn
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 15, 2025
But replays suddenly brought into question the legitimacy of Bellato’s condition after he got drilled with the kick and actually looked at the referee as he was falling backwards towards the canvas. A second later, Bellato’s eyes closed and he appeared to be knocked out.
The end came at 4:59 in the first round.
It was an unreal sequence because immediate replays showed Bellato’s knee was down, which means Craig’s kick was illegal. Rather than call for a disqualification, however, McDonald opted to call the kick “accidental” and the fight was deemed a no-contest.
The replays showing Bellato’s initial reaction then brought into question if he was actually knocked out from the kick or not.
Either way, both fighters go home with a no-contest after a strange ending to cap off Saturday’s UFC Atlanta prelims.
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