Former LFA champion Rodolfo Bellato is hoping for a less dramatic night in the cage when he co-headlines a UFC event for the first time this Saturday, facing Paul Craig at UFC Vegas 106.
Known as “Trator,” Bellato earned his UFC contract through two appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series. His promotional debut in December 2023 was a tough test; he had to dig deep and survive an onslaught before eventually securing a knockout victory over Ihor Potieria, which also earned him a $50,000 bonus.
Just over a year later, with former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira in his corner, Bellato once again found himself in early trouble against Jimmy Crute, nearly being finished in the opening round. However, demonstrating remarkable heart, he survived the challenge, went the distance, and walked away with a rare majority draw.
Following that 15-minute battle, Bellato met UFC CEO Dana White backstage and was praised by the executive for his toughness, specifically for “getting beat up but coming back.” For UFC Vegas 106, though, Bellato`s goal is a clean, decisive victory. He aims for any blood spilled to be solely Craig`s.
“Every fight teaches us something,” Bellato commented. “Thank God I`ve seen that I will never lack heart [laughs], but it would be better if there was a little less emotion involved. Every fighter dreams of being there, landing one punch, seeing the opponent go down, and walking out celebrating with your coaches [laughs].”
Craig is returning to the light heavyweight division after a challenging 1-3 run at middleweight between 2023 and 2024, with losses to Bo Nickal, Caio Borralho, and Brendan Allen. He had previously departed the 205-pound weight class following defeats to Johnny Walker and Volkan Oezdemir. Given this recent form, Bellato anticipates Craig will be under significant pressure.
“He wasn`t someone I specifically expected to fight,” Bellato stated, “but when the booking happened, my coach and I agreed there was no better opponent for us right now. He has a good strategy and a style that matches up well with ours. It`s the perfect matchup for us. He`s a dangerous guy and deserves all respect, but I feel I`m in a better moment than him, coming off three losses.”
“He`s a dangerous opponent with a good ground game, but perhaps his style is a bit predictable,” Bellato explained. “This allows us to study him well and identify openings that fit perfectly with our game. I`m well-trained for this fight, I had a full camp this time. He`s definitely feeling the pressure. He tried [at 185], he tried [at 205]… but I can`t let that interfere with my performance. I`ll go in there and fight like any other fight, not fixating on my opponent. I`ll go in and impose my game, you know?”
This upcoming bout marks Craig`s 20th walk to the UFC cage, where he holds a promotional record of 9-9-1. His resume includes notable wins over current and former champions like Magomed Ankalaev, Jamahal Hill, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Despite Craig’s extensive experience against elite fighters, Bellato expects the Scottish veteran to face difficulties against his own well-rounded game.
“In most of his fights, except for his last one against Bo Nickal where he kept it standing for three rounds, he tends to look for takedowns, pull guard, and try to operate on the ground at all costs,” Bellato observed. “Since my past UFC fights haven`t involved significant ground work yet, I believe he might be thinking, `It will be easier to take him down.` But little does he know I`m also a jiu-jitsu black belt and train my ground game extensively. It won`t be easy for him if the fight goes to the ground.”
“I don`t want to make this a pure striker-versus-grappler fight either,” he added. “No, I`m an MMA fighter, and I train everything. I`m ready for anything. Wherever the fight goes, I`m ready to finish it.”