Rodolfo Bellato completely rejects the idea that he took a dive.
This past Saturday, Bellato faced Paul Craig at UFC Atlanta, where he became the topic of conversation for all the wrong reasons. At the very end of the first round of their fight, Craig was on the ground with Bellato on top when “Bearjew” threw an illegal upkick that connected. It was a curious scene as Bellato appeared to appeal to referee Kevin MacDonald while he was falling backward, only to fall out, then, seemingly completely unconscious.
The bizarre sequence led to widespread speculation that Bellato flopped in the hope of earning a DQ win, which “Trator” disputed unequivocally in his first remarks since the fight.
“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
“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 ended in a No-Contest. Afterward, Craig, who just fought the last bout of his UFC contract, voiced his hope that the promotion would re-book the bout later this year.
