"Looked fake af, but sometimes the body is freaky" - Fans erupt over Rodolfo Bellato’s illegal kick controversy and post-fight statement

MMA fans are divided over the controversy surrounding the illegal upkick Rodolfo Bellato sustained from Paul Craig at the end of the first round of their preliminary card headliner at UFC Atlanta.

Bellato seemed to have been briefly knocked unconscious by the upkick and the judges ended up ruling the light heavyweight bout a No Contest. Many fight fans now believe that Bellato may have exaggerated the impact, noting that he appeared to complain to the referee while falling to the canvas.

In the aftermath of the bout, the Brazilian immediately issued a statement saying that the impact sustained by him was legitimate and he lost control over his senses. He further dismissed the allegations by insisting that he would never run away from a war.

Check out the post below:

The post sparked several fan reactions on the platform. One fan wrote:

"Looked fake af, but sometimes the body is freaky, who knows?"

Others commented:

"The kick didn't even hit him in the face. It grazed his shoulder."

"Get this guy into the WWE with the over-the-top acting."

"Defend yourself at all times. It's like the first lesson."

"Usually, you don't remember the shot at all."

Check out more fan reactions below:

Fan reactions. [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

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Aljamain Sterling weighs in on controversy surrounding Rodolfo Bellato

Aljamain Sterling found himself in a similar controversy when he faced Petr Yan at UFC 259. Drawing from his own experience, Sterling appears to believe that Rodolfo Bellato was genuinely hurt.

In this bout, Yan landed an illegal knee to a grounded Sterling's face which resulted in a disqualification for the Russian fighter. In the aftermath, 'The Funk Master' was heavily criticized by fans, who formed the narrative that the 35-year-old exaggerated the impact and faked the knockout.

Sterling addressed the Bellato situation in a video on his YouTube channel, stating that he didn’t believe the Brazilian was acting and suggested he may have been legitimately hurt.

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments on Rodolfo Bellato below (8:54):