During UFC Atlanta on Saturday, Anthony Smith criticized Rodolfo Bellato’s reaction to an illegal upkick delivered by Paul Craig near the end of the first round. Smith, drawing on his extensive fighting experience, expressed strong doubt that Bellato was genuinely knocked out, fueling debate about the fight’s bizarre conclusion.
Details of the Illegal Upkick Incident
The bout’s contentious finale erupted after Paul Craig threw an upkick just as the round was closing, catching Bellato while he had a knee down, making the strike illegal. Bellato immediately fell backward, seemingly protesting to referee Kevin McDonald about the foul. Suddenly, Bellato appeared to lose consciousness briefly but then jolted awake and attempted to engage with the referee before the fight was ultimately declared a no-contest.
Anthony Smith Questions Bellato’s Knockout Claim
Smith openly challenged the legitimacy of Bellato’s knockout during the UFC Atlanta post-fight show. He pointed to Bellato’s behavior immediately after the upkick as suspicious.
It was a great fight up until the way that it ended all weird, Paul Craig was really forcing the takedowns, he ends up shooting the takedown, pulls guard, the round ends and he throws an upkick while Bellato, he has a knee down. So that’s an illegal strike. I’m going to be hard here. I’m going to be hard on Bellato.
—Anthony Smith, UFC Fighter
As the upkick happens, he looks to the referee to see if the referee realized that was illegal. He looks right to him. You see his eyes come to the referee to protest and then realizes maybe I can get a free win. Lays there, pretends he’s unconscious, jolts back awake allegedly. Referee comes over. That is a man who is awake, pretends to grapple the referee as if he’s unconscious, trying to get a cheap win. I’ve been doing this a long time and I know what it looks like when somebody’s faking it.
—Anthony Smith, UFC Fighter
Replays and Smith’s Firm Stance on the Incident
After reviewing an alternate replay, Smith reinforced his view that Bellato was simulating the knockout rather than suffering a genuine injury. He acknowledged that Craig’s strike broke the rules but maintained Bellato’s exaggerated response was designed to end the fight prematurely and unfairly.
He’s going to look to the referee, ‘Oh my god that’s illegal! Oh I better pretend I’m unconscious, The jolt back awake. This is the worst performance I’ve ever seen. The referee knows this is not really happening. I feel really bad for Paul Craig.
—Anthony Smith, UFC Fighter
We’re laughing about it and joking because it is so silly what happened here with Rodolfo Bellato and Paul Craig but Paul Craig, although he did break the rules. We have to address that. He did break the rules. It wasn’t intentional. But that’s a fight that seemingly could have continued. I’m not going to pretend I’m in his head and can tell how bad it actually did hurt. He definitely was not unconscious and hurt as he was pretending to be. That’s for sure.
—Anthony Smith, UFC Fighter
Background and Impact on the Fighters
The matchup between Bellato and Craig had already faced obstacles, previously postponed due to Bellato’s health issues shortly before being rescheduled for this event. The unexpected no-contest result left fans and fighters alike frustrated after such a drawn-out buildup.
Despite condemning Bellato’s reaction, Smith expressed sympathy for Paul Craig, recognizing the Scottish fighter’s hard work leading up to the fight and the anticlimactic end he suffered.
I do feel for Paul Craig, He worked really hard to push this fight a whole other month to ultimately not have a result.
—Anthony Smith, UFC Fighter
What This Means for UFC Atlanta and the Fighters Involved
The no-contest ruling has left uncertainty surrounding the future implications for both fighters involved. While Paul Craig must address his illegal strike, he avoided a loss that night, and Rodolfo Bellato faces criticism about his conduct in the octagon. Anthony Smith’s remarks underscore ongoing tensions around fighter sportsmanship and officiating within the UFC. The promotion and its officials will likely have to clarify protocols regarding late illegal strikes and contested knockouts to prevent similar controversies from affecting future bouts.