Baby Slice’s celebration following a win at Bellator 232 was short lived, after the result was overturned to a no contest due to illegal strikes.
Baby Slice (Kevin Ferguson Jr.) got back in the win column Saturday at Bellator 232, but the celebration didn’t last long. Monday afternoon, it appeared the win had been overturned by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, as a result of illegal strikes used in his fight with Chris Campbell.
The strikes in question were highlighted during the broadcast, and involved at least one strike to the back of the head. A number of blows in the finishing sequence landed, and at the time, Campbell appeared to be moving his head, complicating matters.
Per a report by MMA Fighting, commission President Michael Mazzulli utilized instant replay to review the finish. In a letter to Bellator CEO Scott Coker, Mazzulli wrote that ”In the case of the above-referenced bout, upon review of the tape, we have determined that the injury that stopped the bout was the result of an accidental foul; elbows to the back of the head,” and continued by adding that “since the bout was stopped in the first round of a bout scheduled for three rounds, we have determined that the result of the bout must be changed to “no-contest.”
Addressing the matter with MMA Junkie, Slice said that “I did what I was supposed to do. That was their decision. It was out of my control. I did my job,” before adding that Mazzulli told him the commission could overturn the win even if just one blow was illegal.
