Rodolfo Bellato has strongly rejected suggestions that he faked an injury during his recent fight at UFC Atlanta.
The incident occurred this past Saturday during his bout against Paul Craig. Near the end of the first round, with Bellato in a dominant position, Craig landed an illegal upkick. The subsequent moments were puzzling to many viewers, as Bellato seemed to look towards referee Kevin MacDonald before falling back and appearing to lose consciousness.
This unusual sequence sparked widespread speculation online that Bellato may have faked the injury in an attempt to secure a disqualification victory. Bellato, however, has now addressed the claims directly, unequivocally denying the accusations in his first remarks since the fight.
In a statement, Bellato first thanked supporters, saying:
“God knows about all things! To everyone cheering for me, I’m in good health and will be back soon – thank you so much! And 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 referee to complain, my whole body began to tingle and my vision disappeared.. after that I don’t remember anything.”
Bellato emphasized his character and commitment, challenging the notion that he would intentionally fake an injury:
“Anyone who’s known me the longest knows I would NEVER do this, I’ve never run from war. I made weight twice in less than 30 days, two trips in a row. Why would I fake something after all I been through, and on top of that winning the first round? Anyway … I thank all the real ones for the positive messages. God is in charge.”
Ultimately, the fight was ruled a No-Contest. Following the bout, Paul Craig, who reportedly completed the final fight on his current UFC contract, expressed his desire for the promotion to reschedule the matchup later this year.
