Following the last-minute cancellation of his UFC Vegas 106 co-main event bout, light heavyweight veteran Paul Craig has shared his perspective on opponent Rodolfo Bellato’s withdrawal due to herpes.
The Scottish star, who was looking to bounce back from his recent loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 309, found himself without an opponent just minutes before they were scheduled to enter the octagon.
“The referee saw my opponent in the back and noticed he had a cold sore,” Craig explained during an appearance on the Believe You Me podcast. “The referee then informed the commission, who pulled my opponent from the card.”
While the UFC broadcast team initially described the withdrawal as an unspecified “medical issue,” Bellato later took to social media with a candid explanation.
“I never thought that herpes would take me out of a fight!” Bellato posted on his Instagram story. “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, who was coming off a majority draw against Jimmy Crute at UFC 312, did not elaborate whether this was a new diagnosis or a pre-existing condition that flared up at the worst possible time.
The unexpected cancellation disrupted 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.
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. Despite the co-main event cancellation, UFC Vegas 106 still delivered exciting action for viewers, including Jared Gordon’s stunning one-punch knockout over Thiago Moises.
UFC officials are expected to reschedule the Bellato vs. Craig matchup for a future event, though no timeline has been announced as of this writing. Craig discussed it likely taking place next month.
