UFC Fighter “Feigned” KO after an Illegal Hit – Fans Furious

The UFC is an easy sport – you get bruised up a little, blood flies around, people are happy, and you get paid decently. Most of the fights are about whether you can – often savagely – take the other guy down.

Illegal Kick, a Feigned Knockout, and a Lot of UFC Drama

While fans have been okay with the bloodshed, they have not appreciated the most recent bout at UFC Atlanta between Rodolfo Bellato and Paul Craig, which saw an illegal kick by the latter, and cost him the fight.

But fans did not show sympathy for Bellato, calling into question his behavior in the octagon. Many fans suspected that Bellato had intentionally feigned getting knocked out so that he would force the judges’ hand to disqualify Craig and win the fight.

This is precisely what happened, and it made fans furious, but not only them – Anthony Smith and Justin Gaethje have similarly lambasted Bellato for what is considered poor sportsmanship in the UFC.

Bellato Calls on People to Respect His Opponent

Bellato’s alleged lack of due decorum has shielded Craig from the due criticism that was coming his way. However, an unlikely supporter of Bellato has emerged in Craig, who said that his opponent had won fairly, acknowledging that his kick was indeed something that would normally disqualify a fighter.

Because of Craig’s behavior, the UFC increasingly has the trappings of a world-class athletic competition that is more about the sport than it is about people watching others get beaten up, sometimes in the octagon, sometimes in a cage.