Paul Craig believes his job is on the line in the UFC Fight Night 256 co-main event. Can he get past Rodolfo Bellato?
Rodolfo Bellato and Paul Craig meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 256 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 2-3
UFC main cards, 2025: 43-38-1
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig UFC Fight Night 256 preview
Bellato (12-2-1 MMA, 1-0-1 UFC) will look for a definitive result following a majority draw against Jimmy Crute at UFC 312 in February. Prior to the pause in his winning streak, the 29-year-old Brazilian won four straight, a streak that began after his first appearance and loss on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. Bellato won two straight under the LFA banner to get another crack at DWCS, where he stopped Murtaza Talha, earning his entry into the UFC. He then stopped Ihor Potieria in his promotional debut. … Craig (17-9-1 MMA, 9-9-1 UFC) believes his job is on the line after dropping his last three fights. After a second round stoppage of Andre Muniz, the grappler suffered setbacks against Brendan Allen, Caio Borralho and Bo Nickal.
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig UFC Fight Night 256 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in Las Vegas also happens to be the cruelest match made on the card as Craig moves back up to light heavyweight to take on Bellato.
Aside from the fact that Bellato is a heavyweight who moonlights as a 205-pound fighter, the Brazilian bruiser was riding a four-fight winning streak before drawing with Jimmy Crute earlier this year. Craig, on the other hand, is currently on a three-fight skid and is likely fighting for his job.
With that in mind, it’s hard not to cheer for Craig to score another upset here. Bellato has a reputation for being a bit of a comeback kid, which means that he traditionally tends to give ground early to his opponents.
That said, Bellato is also a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in his own right and has proven that he can fight out of negative positions and finish from positive ones.
Craig will probably have a moment or two, but I’ll pick Bellato to survive the scares and force a stoppage via strikes in Round 2.
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig UFC Fight Night 256 odds
The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the Brazilian fighter, listing Bellato -600 and Craig +410 via FanDuel.
Rodolfo Bellato vs. Paul Craig UFC Fight Night 256 start time, how to watch
Bellato and Craig are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+.
