UFC fans have taken to social media to accuse Rodolfo Bellato of ‘flopping’ after his fight with Paul Craig ended in a no contest.

On Saturday night the UFC returned to Atlanta, Georgia with a Fight Night card headlined by a welterweight clash between former champion Kamaru Usman and surging contender Joaquin Buckley.

On the preliminary portion of the event, Scotland’s Craig returned to the 205lb division looking to end a three-fight losing streak.

Craig had initially been scheduled to face Bellato at an event last month before the fight was hastily postponed when the Brazilian was forced to withdraw due to a herpes infection.

When the pair finally did meet in the Octagon neither man was able to assert themselves in the early going in the striking range.

Bellato secured top position from a failed Craig takedown and looked set to end the fight in his opponent’s guard before an illegal upkick with seconds left in the round sent him crashing to the canvas.

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A light heavyweight clash between Paul Craig and Rodolfo Bellato ended in controversy on Saturday

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At the end of a back-and-forth first round, Craig hit Bellato with an illegal upkick that appeared to render the Brazilian unconscious

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The fight was ultimately ruled a no contest, with the referee not deeming the strike to have been intentional

The unified rules of MMA classify a fighter as downed when any part of their body is touching the mat other than their hands and feet.

After appearing to gesture towards the referee immediately after the illegal strike, Bellato then fell unconscious to the mat.

The fight was subsequently ruled a no contest rather than a disqualification as the referee ruled Craig had not intentionally committed the foul.

Bellato’s actions following the strike sparked passionate discourse on social media, with some fans accusing him of attempting to get his opponent disqualified.

One wrote: ‘That was some terrible acting lmao the UFC brass ain’t gonna like that.’

Another agreed: ‘Flopped but up kicks aren’t allowed. Super weird tho.’

A third added: ‘I haven’t watched for a while but saw this and thought legit. Then one of the commentators kept saying he’d never seen anything like it.

‘They then showed the above vision and it’s not a natural flop for being knocked out. Then the carry on!’

The controversial incident sparked an intense debate among MMA fans on social media

Speaking following the fight Craig – who holds a win over current UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev – expressed his frustration with how the fight ended.

‘A few people have messaged me regarding [the finish] and they’re saying that it looked a bit floppish, like he was maybe hamming it up.’ Craig said.

‘I don’t want to think that any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport.

‘We’re all fighters we are all in the UFC in the pinnacle of our careers and we are looking to put on performances.

‘I can see where people are looking at it where it looks a bit floppish like he’s maybe taken a dive. I don’t want to think that but I’ll need to watch it back. It’s raw at the moment.’

He continued: ‘It’s my fault as much as it is his fault.

‘We shouldn’t be looking to persecute him if he’s taken the knee. It was an illegal move.’