Fans absolutely walked in Rodolfo Bellato after his fight against Paul Craig in UFC Atlanta last Saturday.
The Premier Promotion returned to Atlanta for UFC Atlanta last Saturday, excluding a goodweight fight between Kamaru Usman and Joaquin Buckley.
Usman returned incredibly to the win column and broke his three-fighter-losing skid after dominating Buckley for five rounds.
However, it was a fight between Paul Craig and Rodolfo Bellato on the Prelims that caused a lot of controversy and led to fans closed the Brazilian completely.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
John McCarthy calls in controversial UFC Atlanta Moment
Craig and Bellato were planned to fight a few weeks ago, but Bellato was removed just a few minutes from his planned strike after contracting herpes.
Nevertheless, the two were again planned to meet each other just a few weeks later in UFC Atlanta in what is guaranteed to be an intriguing stylistic collision.
After having landed a large Takedown on the Scottish hunter, Bellato Craig checked on the floor and seemed to dominate him with his top pressure.
With a few seconds of the Round, however, Craig landed an illegal up-kick that flew the Brazilian to the Canvas.
While Bellato flew back, he seemed to gesture to the referee before he flopped on the floor, apparently unconsciously. Because of his change in attitude of speaking with the referee up to and then there look unconscious, flame fans completely online Bellato and calling a dive.
Not only that, but some fans even claimed that the strike might not have been illegal due to the recent change of rule of the UFC with regard to opponents knocked down. However, the legendary referee John McCarthy has given his opinion about the decision without contest.
“A knee on the ground makes him a grounded hunter who cannot be kicked legally or to the face or head of that position,” McCarthy responded to a fan on X.
“The rule has recently changed. In the past you could be a hand and that you were considered a grounded hunter. Now your feet and hands have nothing to do with you as a grounded hunter.
“A knee on the ground has always made you a grounded hunter,” he went on.
The rule has recently been changed. It is always that you could lay a hand and you were considered a grounded hunter. Now your feet and hands have nothing to do with being a grounded hunter. A knee on the ground has always made you a grounded hunter https://t.co/rjczhmevvZ
– Big John McCarthy (@JohnmcCarthymma) 15 June 2025
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Paul Craig responds to claims that Bellato 'Floped'
Frustrating for Craig, he waited a few months until this fight took place after last-minute cancellation, and it still ended on a completely without mercy.
Although the broad consensus that Bellato fake unconscious, Craig gave him the benefit of the doubt, and declares that he does not want to think that a hunter would take a five.