UFC bantamweight star Malcolm Wellmaker plotted how his UFC Atlanta knockout win would play out well before the fight.
UFC Atlanta featured the triumphant return of former champion Kamaru Usman in the main event. But on the undercard, one surging bantamweight stole the show with one of the most horrific knockouts you’ll ever see.
Malcolm Wellmaker and short-notice replacement opponent Kris Moutinho helped kick off the action at UFC Atlanta on Saturday. Moutinho made his return to the UFC after a five-fight winning streak outside of it, which came after losses to the likes of Sean O’Malley and Guido Cannetti.
Wellmaker was the favorite entering the Moutinho fight after an undefeated run to kick off his career. But few could’ve predicted what would unfold in the Octagon, unless you’re a member of Wellmaker’s inner circle.
Malcolm Wellmaker pulled off a Conor McGregor-esque rehearsed knockout at UFC Atlanta
Wellmaker stifled Moutinho early with heavy low kicks that left his opponent wobbled just seconds into the fight. Midway through the opening round, Wellmaker feinted a low kick and followed it up with a right hook to Moutinho’s chin that finished the fight in devastating fashion.
Wellmaker’s right hook has become one of his patented techniques, as evidenced by his first-round knockouts in his UFC debut and his Dana White’s Contender Series showcase bout. His ability to land it almost at will is one of the bantamweight division’s most dangerous weapons.
But minutes before Wellmaker made the walk for his fight at UFC Atlanta, he practiced the knockout combination that ended up earning his third consecutive first-round win.
Watch Wellmaker practice the feint-to-right hook combination below.
Wellmaker admitted in a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show that his team saw a repeated opening that Moutinho left for the right hook to land. His knockout was the textbook example of pre-fight strategy blossoming into a highlight-reel finish.
Rodolfo Bellato addressed ‘fake knockout’ claims after UFC Atlanta bout vs. Paul Craig
Later during the UFC Atlanta prelims, the light heavyweight booking between Rodolfo Bellato and Paul Craig ended in one of the most bizarre stoppages in recent MMA history.
With seconds left in the first round, Craig landed an illegal up-kick that landed flush to Bellato’s chin, rattling the DWCS alum and stopping the fight. The matchup was ruled a no-contest.
After the incident went viral, several prominent names including Justin Gaethje and Aljamain Sterling accused Bellato of faking his reaction to the knockout. Bellato has since denied faking his reaction and claimed he briefly ‘lost his vision’ when he was seen grappling with the referee.
Bellato vs. Craig was rescheduled for UFC Atlanta after Bellato was forced off of their scheduled UFC Vegas 106 matchup earlier this year. The light heavyweight blamed a ‘herpes’ diagnosis for his hours’ notice pullout.