UFC Atlanta Prelims: Paul Craig Lands Illegal Upkick

This is the funniest ending to a UFC fight

Bellato pulls out of the initial fight because he had herpes, and then dies to an illegal upkick, only to wake up and try to fight with the ref 😂😂😂#UFCAtlanta
pic.twitter.com/3oWZnity7k

— The Fight Bubble (@thefightbubble) June 15, 2025

The UFC Atlanta prelims ended on a disappointing note as Rodolfo Bellato and Paul Craig’s light heavyweight showdown was declare a no contest after Craig (17-9-1, 1 NC) landed an illegal upkick on Bellato midway through the first round.

Things were just starting to heat up on the ground as Bellato (12-2-1 1 NC) looked to pass Craig’s guard, the Scottish slugger caught Bellato on the side of his face. Referee Kevin MacDonald called a halt to the action, but Bellato was in no condition to continue, even at on point trying to grapple with MacDonald out of confusion.

Chiesa Handles Business in Atlanta

Michael Chiesa picked up his third straight win with a clear decision over Court McGee (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Chiesa floated and danced around McGee while tagging him with shots. McGee opted to stay in the pocket and throw heavy shots but found little throughout the fight. Chiesa (20-7) isn’t known for having knockout power but kept McGee off him with straight shots and consistent movement. McGee (22-15) dropped his fourth in his last five fights.

Related » UFC Atlanta Round-by-Round Scoring

Wellmaker Lamps Moutinho

Malcolm Wellmaker has the goods to become a potential star in the UFC. The budding fan-favorite bantamweight cemented another highlight reel KO against the battle-tested and durable Kris Moutinho in the first round (2:37).

Wellemaker (9-0, 2-0 UFC) launched bombs at Moutinho and lit his body up with hooks and uppercuts. With Moutinho overwhelmed and biting on his feints, Wellmaker faked to the body and came upstairs with a flush right hook that dropped Moutinho (14-7, 0-3 UFC) flat on his face, out cold.

Ochoa Starches Durden

Jose Ochoa (8-1, 1-1 UFC) came in on the road and starched Georgia flyweight Cody Durden in electrifying fashion.

After an explosive back-and-forth first round, Durden chirped across the cage at Ochoa, ready to go back to war, but Ochoa had other plans in mind. The Chute Boxe product planted an uppercut so vicious it catapulted Durden (17-9-1, 6-6-1 UFC) flat on his back with his eyes crossed 11 seconds into the second round.

Simon Outguns Smotherman

Ricky Simon (21-6, 10-5 UFC) was the last man to beat current UFC bantamweight king Merab Dvalishvili, but their careers have gone in vastly different directions in the seven years since.

Despite Simon’s shortcomings, the 32-year-old is still a dangerous bantamweight who is back on the rise after a unanimous decision win over Cameron Smotherman (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Simon controlled the fight with crafty clinchwork and inside fighting. Simon smothered Smotherman (12-6, 1-2 UFC) and weathered a late storm from the Houstonian en route to his second straight win.

Rowe Rallies to Dispatch of Loosa

Philip Rowe dug deep to keep his 100% finish rate intact against Ange Loosa.

The Congolese welterweight pushed, punished and dropped Rowe within the first two rounds. Loosa looked confident, fresh and strong in the clinch while “The Fresh Prince” looked a step slow for most of the fight and was in serious danger of dropping his third consecutive bout. But Rowe would awaken in the third frame with a flury. He cracked Loosa with knees, smacked him with jabs and popped out his mouthpiece with a flush right hand. Rowe went in for the kill and busted Loosa (10-5, 2-2 UFC 1 NC) up without mercy until referee Brent McKeehan was forced to call it (4:03).

With the win Rowe (11-5, 4-3 UFC) notched his first win since 2022.

Horth Dominates Reeling Demopoulos

Jamey-Lyn Horth opened the card with a dominant bounce-back decision win against Vanessa Demopoulos (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Horth (8-2, 3-2 UFC) commanded the “Lil Monster” with her superior height and reach, peppering the Columbus, Ohio, native with jabs, crosses and straight kicks up the middle. Demopoulos hoped to make it a dog fight and found success with her hooks on the inside, but Horth’s hand speed and natural flyweight frame battered her foe. Despite her grit, Demopoulos (11-8, 5-5 UFC) was too small to overcome Horth’s length and dropped her third straight.