UFC light heavyweight Rodolfo Bellato issued his first public remarks since an odd withdrawal at UFC Vegas 106.
Paul Craig‘s return to the light heavyweight division was postponed due to a bizarre withdrawal from Rodolfo Bellato just minutes before their fight at UFC Vegas 106. In a last-second switchup, a featherweight clash between Sodiq Yusuff and Mairon Santos was promoted to the co-main event slot after the UFC Vegas 106 broadcast broke the news of Bellato’s pullout.
Bellato and Craig were both looking to get back in the win column after falling short in both of their recent performances. Bellato was coming off a majority draw against Jimmy Crute at UFC 312, while Craig looked to bounce back after a loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 309.
But Craig’s chance at redemption will have to wait after one of the oddest reasons for a fight withdrawal in recent memory.
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Rodolfo Bellato pulls out of UFC Vegas 106 just minutes before co-headliner due to ‘herpes’
Fight fans were bummed to hear that the Bellato vs. Craig fight wouldn’t serve as the UFC Vegas 106 co-main event. Luckily for viewers, the card delivered in a big way, featuring a welterweight star on the rise in the event’s headliner.
The UFC Vegas 106 broadcast team didn’t reveal the exact reasoning behind Bellato’s pullout, citing an unspecified ‘medical issue’ that forced Bellato out of the fight. The light heavyweight clash is expected to get rescheduled for an upcoming event.
Amidst the confusion and chaos surrounding Bellato’s withdrawal, Bellato took to social media to explain what happened, and it wasn’t what most expected.
In a recent post to his Instagram story, Bellato gave a bizarre reason for his last-second pullout at UFC Vegas 106.
“I never thought that herpes would take me out of a fight!” Bellato posted shortly after the cancelation. “I’m sorry all of you guys, but it’s something that’s out of our control.
“I’ll have more news soon!”
Bellato didn’t specify whether it was a new herpes diagnosis that led to the withdrawal, or a lingering issue that forced UFC doctors to pull him out of the fight. As of this writing, Craig hasn’t spoken publicly on the last-second cancelation.
Bellato’s bizarre fight cancelation overshadows a strong start to his UFC tenure, featuring a second-round TKO win over Ihor Potieria in Dec. 2023. He earned a shot in the promotion with a ruthless win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023 over Murtaza Talha.
Jared Gordon earned a ‘Knockout of the Year’ contender at UFC Vegas 106
Bellato’s pullout wasn’t the only notable moment from a wild night at UFC Vegas 106. UFC lightweight Jared Gordon earned one of the biggest highlight-reel wins of his career over Thiago Moises, knocking him out with one punch on the prelims.
UFC featherweight Melquizael Costa overcame a mid-fight injury to defeat Julian Erosa in a ‘Fight of the Night’ candidate. Costa is knocking on the door of a potential featherweight Top 15 slot with the victory.
Bellato vs. Craig is expected to be rescheduled for an upcoming event. As of this writing, UFC officials haven’t publicly addressed the UFC Vegas 106 cancelation.
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