Brutal UFC Knockout Or Oscar-Worthy Acting? You Be The Judge

We're in the midst of a great UFC Atlanta card as we speak, and there's been some amazing knockouts - like this one from Malcolm Wellmaker....

....there's been plenty of stinkers that had the crowd booing as well, and there was this Paul Craig/Rodolfo Bellato finish that had everyone up in arms. 

Paul Craig throws an illegal upkick (because Bellato's knee was on the canvas, making him a grounded opponent - you cannot kick a grounded opponent in the head) and Rodolfo Bellato falls back, signaling to the referee that he knew the kick was illegal....and then he continues falling back and acts dead. Look at the side-by-side above! From "Whaaaat how could you let him do that?!" to "............" in an instant!

This fight wound up getting called a no contest and it was over right then and there, and the whole thing was just bizarre. Like many fans, I wish these upkicks were legal, but I understand the rule. Still, in slo-mo, it kiiiinda looks like the kick landed on the shoulder/neck more than the head even....

I'll let you guys be the judge: valid knockout or complete flop show?

P.S. This straight up cartoonish Phil Rowe knockout ruled….

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Holding someone's head in place for a barrage of punches RARELY works that well. 

There's still a few fights left on the main card, so tune into ESPN/ESPN+ now if you're interested.