At UFC Vegas 106, light heavyweight contender Rodolfo Bellato was forced to withdraw from his scheduled co-main event bout against Paul Craig just minutes before they were set to enter the octagon.
The last-minute cancellation left fight fans disappointed as both competitors were looking to bounce back from recent setbacks. Bellato was coming off a majority draw against Jimmy Crute at UFC 312, while Craig was hoping to rebound following his loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 309.
The UFC broadcast team initially described the withdrawal as due to an unspecified “medical issue,” but Bellato himself later took to social media to provide a candid explanation that few saw coming.
“I never thought that herpes would take me out of a fight!” Bellato posted on his Instagram story shortly after the cancellation. “I’m sorry all of you guys, but it’s something that’s out of our control. I’ll have more news soon!”
The Brazilian did not elaborate whether this was a new diagnosis or a pre-existing condition that UFC medical staff determined made him ineligible to compete. As of this writing, Craig has not publicly commented on the situation.
In response to the last-second change, UFC officials promoted the featherweight clash between Sodiq Yusuff and Mairon Santos to the co-main event slot. The card still delivered exciting action for viewers, including several standout performances.
The unexpected withdrawal momentarily overshadows what had been a promising start to Bellato’s UFC career. After earning his contract with an impressive victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, he followed up with a second-round TKO win over Ihor Potieria in December 2023.
UFC officials are expected to reschedule the Bellato vs. Craig matchup for a future event, though no timeline has been announced.
Despite the co-main event cancellation, UFC Vegas 106 featured several memorable moments, including Jared Gordon’s stunning one-punch knockout over Thiago Moises and Melquizael Costa’s gutsy victory against Julian Erosa despite sustaining a mid-fight injury.
