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.

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Bellator 232 saw the conclusion of the Bellator Welterweight Grand prix — and in a rare case of things going according to plan, it was Rory MacDonald and Douglas Lima in the final. Lima, the man MacDonald had beaten to become champ in Bellator, had put on two stellar shows in the grand prix, and looked better than ever. MacDonald, meanwhile, had struggled against Jon Fitch, but bounced back opposite Neiman Gracie.

However, fighting Lima for the second time, MacDonald’s conservative game plan, designed to avoid the nasty leg kicks of the Brazilian, backfired. In the end, Lima reclaimed the title, won the million dollar grand prix, and get his revenge on MacDonald.

Full results from the event, plus a gallery of highlights, can be seen below.

Bellator 232: MacDonald vs. Lima 2 Results

Main Card

Douglas Lima defeated Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
Paul Daley defeated Saad Awad via TKO (punches), Round 2, 1:30
Patrick Mix defeated Isaiah Chapman via submission (kneebar), Round 1, 3:49
Manny Muro defeated Nick Newell via split decision (29-28, 27-29, 29-28)
Baby Slice defeated Craig Campbell via TKO (elbows), Round 1, 0:38

Preliminary Card

Ryan Hardy Evans defeated Demetrios Plaza via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 3:03
Lance Gibson Jr. defeated Dominic Jones via KO (punches), Round 1, 1:58
Devin Powell defeated Marcus Surin via technical submission (mounted guillotine), Round 2, 5:00
Johnny Lopez defeated Dan Cormier via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Jornel Lugo defeated John Douma via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Zarrukh Adashev defeated Tevin Dyce via TKO (strikes), Round 2, 1:39

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Uncasville, CT — Scott Coker had plenty of ground to cover following Bellator 231 and Bellator 232 over the weekend. The back-to-back shows at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT saw the conclusion of the welterweight grand prix, and the crowning of Douglas Lima at 170lbs for the third time.

A lot of fighters are in the mix to challenge him next — including Lorenz Larkin. Coker gave an update on Larkin’s future, and the future of several other fighters, at the Bellator 232 post-fight press conference, with Cageside Press and other media outlets in attendance.

Lorenz Larkin

“We’re going to be taking Larkin to Japan to fight on the 29th, on our show. We’re still working out the opponent, but he will be fighting and representing Bellator against RIZIN. So he’ll be busy there. And I think that Douglas Lima would like to take a couple months off. And then we’ll figure it out. But I think Larkin, unless he loses in Japan, he’s probably the number one guy in the slot.”

Josh Barnett

“Josh is not going to fight in Japan. We know that for sure. Only because of the timing. And right now, they don’t have any heavyweights for Josh to fight. Our fight card with Fedor and Rampage, and Chandler and Benson Henderson, and the three fights with RIZIN versus Bellator, that’s already a five fight card.”

“We’ll have something soon to announce.”

Jon Fitch

“I haven’t talked to Jon. He told me he was going to retire. If he’s not retired, we can have a conversation. But he did tell me that unless he got the alternate slot and worked his way into this championship fight and the tournament finals, he was probably going to retire. When I get back to San Jose, I’ll reach out to him.”

Saad Awad

“Don’t look at him as a guy who just got knocked out by Paul Daley. Because Paul is a killer, Paul is a dangerous fighter. You guys have seen what Paul Daley can do. I’ve watched it for so many years, and he’s one of my favorite fighters of all time.”

“Saad took a very tough challenge here today. He could go back on a three, four fight win streak, you never know. I think that he did the best he could. Paul did what he does. And that’s it. But don’t judge Saad just on today’s performance. I say look at his overall body of work. But he’s got to turn it around pretty soon. We’re not going to count this one as a strike. He gets a pass for this one.”

Nick Newell

“Talking to MVP, watching that fight, and we were both saying, you know what, this guy is a special person. Special martial artist. He’s somebody that I really had a great time working with and I look forward to seeing his next fight.”

“I thought the fight was close, didn’t work out, and that’s just how this business is. He’ll learn from it, he’ll grow from it, he’ll continue on, and we’ll get him back as soon as he can. Because he’s a special martial artist and I’m going to support him.”

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Uncasville, CT — After starting his career with two straight wins for CES MMA, Jornel Lugo made the jump to Bellator on Saturday night. There was an interesting story line to his debut for Scott Coker’s promotion, as at Bellator 232, Lugo was facing John Douma.

The same John Douma who defeated Lugo’s friend Mike Kimbel earlier this year. So a little bit of vengeance was on the menu Saturday. Ultimately, with Kimbel in his corner, Lugo got the job done, earning a unanimous decision win over Douma.

Breaking down the fight with reporters including Cageside Press backstage after the bout, Lugo said that Douma “was physically stronger than me. I’m not the biggest guy. But I knew the technique was there.”

Which meant that when Douma took him down, “I wasn’t worried. I knew i would just get back up. When were on the cage, I wasn’t worried. I just had to stay composed. Because he needed that. Whereas I didn’t need anything. At some point, I was going to stop him, or I was going to school him.”

With a 30-26 score, Lugo added “I schooled him.”

Asked if he was worried about his opponent’s timing, or skills, Lugo explained that “at this level in the game, it’s not really about technique in particular, it’s more about range, and timing. It’s not about technique.”

“So I wasn’t worried if he took me down,” Lugo continued. “What I was worried about is just the range. I didn’t want to press him too much, and him shoot under me.”

One thing that surprised Lugo at Bellator 232 when it came to Douma: “He was very composed. Most people I fight are not that composed, or as composed as me,” admitted Lugo. “Dude was as composed as me, and I had to check myself, and tell myself ‘whoa, calm down, let’s stay composed, because he wants me to make a mistake.’ You always wait for somebody to make a mistake to finish them. I don’t make mistakes.”

Lugo was also a bit surprised at Douma’s durability. “Dude can take a punch. My hands were hurting. My hands hurt right now. I was hitting him with all kinds of stuff.”

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press scrum with Jornel Lugo above!

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Uncasville, CT — Patrick Mix made a little bit of history Saturday night. Pulling off a rarely seen Suloev stretch submission at Bellator 232, he became the first fight in the promotion to win via that particular method.

It’s not his first time getting a win with the hamstring stretch submission, however. “It’s my second one,” Mix told media outlets including Cageside Press after the fight. “They didn’t give me enough respect, because it was for King of the Cage the first time. So I hit the first one in Bellator history, and that means everything to me.”

Mix felt he could have pulled off the submission in his last fight, but despite being in the right position, didn’t. “I was kicking myself in the butt for it.”

The victory brought Mix’s pro record to 12-0. Asked if he wanted a contender for his next fight, he pointed out that “I had a contender this fight. Dominic Mazzotta, he actually pulled out. I wanted that name. Grateful I had Isiah Chapman. But I just took out Ricky Bandejas — he’s a big contender in the division — in under a minute.”

So fighting a contender would not be a step up, Mix said. “I’ve been taking out contenders. I’ve taken out Ricky, two UFC guys, Andre Ewell and Tony Gravely, all under five minutes if you add up all the times.”

“I’m already a contender, I’m already stepping up,” stated Mix. And he wants to fight again soon. Against who is the better question. At 12-0, there’s no doubt Mix can make a case for title contention. Champ Kyoji Horiguchi currently holds both Bellator and RIZIN gold — and mix would be happy to go to Japan. He made his case for a shot Saturday.

“I’m 12-0 with nine finishes, seven in the first round. On a 23-fight winning streak, because of my amateur career. I’ve finished seventeen people,” said Mix. “I know they have a show in Japan, I know they’re talking about it. I’m going to go work on my passport right now.”

Mix is open to fighting Horiguchi in Japan, but other contenders in the division, well that’s another matter. “If Bellator pays me well enough, I’m here to fight the contenders in the division,” he said. “But I want to get paid for my services now.”

Adding that his record speaks for itself, Mix explained that “the contract right now that I’m on, even Horiguchi — I know that comes with money, so that’s why I’m chasing Horiguchi. I’m not chasing these other contenders for this amount of money right now, but I’m chasing Horiguchi, because I know that entails a new contract.”

In other words, the man just wants to get paid.

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press conference with Patrick Mix above!

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Uncasville, CT — Lance Gibson Jr. comes from a fighting family — and that’s a good thing. Father Lance fought in the early days of MMA, competing at UFC 24 and 29 after starting his career in the 90s in SuperBrawl. His stepmom, meanwhile, is Julia Budd, Bellator women’s featherweight champion.

You might say Lance Gibson Jr. was born to be a fighter, and you wouldn’t be far off. His father, he claims, began training him when he was two years old. Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following his promotional debut win at Bellator 232 (a first-round TKO against Dominic Jones), Gibson was elated.

“It feels fantastic. I was able to go in and secure my victory,” he said, before turning his focus to family. “We’ve got Julia Budd, the four time world champion coming up on January 25 at the Forum. Her job is to go in and beat Cyborg and become the five time world champion.”

“My dad Lance Gibson Sr has taught me since I was two years old,” he continued. “We’ve got a team that’s solid. And it’s going to be back and forth. Julia’s going to go in and retain her title, and then I’m going to go in shortly after that, feel great, and have my next fight as well.”

Bellator likes to book family members side by side when they can. Brothers Tyree and Tyrell Fortune have shared a card. So have father-son duos Hail and Aviv Gozali, and Antonio and A.J. McKee. Asked if he’d consider appearing on Bellator’s L.A. card on January 25, where Budd defends her title against Cris Cyborg, Gibson balked at the idea.

“That is the biggest fight in potentially MMA history. I can’t do that. I’m here to help her out,” Gibson Jr answered. “I’m one of her coaches. She’s got to be ready to go in there and beat Cyborg. That’s what it’s all about.”

Family first. And that family, said Gibson, has “been the greatest examples a young man could ask for. I’m able to go in there and do what I’m capable of in front of the world, and have these two by my side. Honestly, there’s nothing better, really. You’ve got your family in your corner, you know you have an extra edge against your opponent, no matter who it is.”

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press scrum with Lance Gibson Jr. above!

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Uncasville, CT — After a tough loss to Corey Browning a year ago, and an ACL injury, Kevin Ferguson Jr., or Baby Slice (son of the late Kimbo Slice) returned to the Bellator cage Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The occasion was Bellator 232, the opponent Craig Campbell. And it was all over in under a minute.

A TKO win, thanks to some nasty elbows, put Campbell away early. With a fight so quick, there wasn’t much to pick apart, other than a questionable elbow in the finishing sequence that appeared to hit the back of the head.

Baby Slice addressed that blow post-fight, speaking to reporters including Cageside Press. Although initially, he was concerned about a possible 12-6 elbow.

“The first one was legal. If you watched it, he moved his head a little bit as I was going for the second one,” he explained. “That’s when the ref said ‘watch the elbows.’ So then I went back to — you just got to put a curve to it.”

“He told me backstage, anything straight down, that’s not good,” Slice added. “But as long as you have that little [curve] in it, you’re good to go.”

When it came to placement, “the ref said if you move your head and that’s where it lands, then it’s not his fault. That’s where it landed, that’s what happened. I don’t think it was illegal, I think everything was good.”

The officials seemed to agree with him. And now that he’s back in the win column, the Team Bodyshop fighter is looking to stay active, and get back in the cage “as soon as possible.”

“I’m going right back to training next week,” Baby Slice said. As for who Ferguson wants next, it’s an old foe. “A rematch. I want Corey Browning. It’s like a callout. It’s a callout for sure. Definitely want a rematch. Might as well start a rivalry. All the older guys are starting to retire, and there’s no good rivalries right now.”

“So listen, get another rivalry going. Let’s do it,” he finished.

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press conference with Baby Slice above!

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Uncasville, CT — Manny Muro was not a popular figure at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night. That’s to be expected. At Bellator 232, Muro upset local hero Nick Newell, taking home a split decision win after rallying back from a disheartening opening round.

Newell was one of the big the stories heading into the second of two back-to-back Bellator cards. Coming out of the event, it was Muro, a Native American of the Kiowa tribe, in the spotlight.

Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight, Muro gave his motivations for taking the bout. “When I got this fight offered to me, I jumped on it because Nick is a quality opponent,” he said “I knew he had a big, huge fan base. And I’m trying to make my mark as a martial artist, that I’m world class as well. That’s my goal.”

Muro is all about being the best. And in taking the fight, he looked straight past Newell’s handicap (Newell is a congenital amputee). “He’s a quality guy. He’s going to have a great career, he’s going to go on to do amazing things.”

“I’ve seen this as my opportunity to make a stand,” he added. “They made it a part of my contract that if I did put on a show right here, that I would get a [long term] contract.” Hopefully, that win was enough. “I want to be a signed Bellator fighter. I want to represent the company. They took care of me and my team from top to bottom. And it was just world class.”

Of course, Muro heard it from the crowd Saturday, but “even the boos, I got respect and love for the Connecticut fans.” After all, they came out two straight nights to show their support, Muro pointed out. “Of course, I’m from Oklahoma, if I was to go over there and end up like this, of course the people over there would be the same thing.”

Muro’s goal, aside from winning fights, is to share his story, he said. About being a man of faith — “I’m a Christian” — and about being native American, part of the Kiowa tribe. “Being from Oklahoma, in my area, there’s not a lot of people that get opportunities like this. If this night, this moment, I can make my whole state and people, native people proud around the U.S. and everything, this was the opportunity to do it. That was a huge platform.”

Getting up in front of the media, said Muro, is not something he was at all used to. “I’m used to fighting in front of 500 to 1000 people. And now I’m fighting in front of 5000 people. I could genuinely get used to this.”

Muro knows he was brought in to lose Saturday night, especially coming in after a rough stretch. He’s still focused on the top, however. “Mark my words right here: if Bellator signs me to a contract, I am coming for that belt,” he promised Saturday. “I’ve gotten through the bumps and the bruises in this sport. Everybody wins, everybody loses. But I am coming here to make a mark. I’m not just here to be a part of the promotion.”

“I am trying to go to the highest level in this sport,” he added. “I am trying to do that for my Native American people, I’m trying to be a role model, trying to be an ambassador, and just show a little bit of my culture, and what we’re about.”

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press conference with Manny Muro above!

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Uncasville, CT —Rory MacDonald did not realize he was down on the scorecards until it was too late. That seemed to be the takeaway after Bellator 232 on Saturday, when MacDonald lost the welterweight title, and the welterweight grand prix, to Douglas Lima.

MacDonald’s approach was conservative, and even he would admit that. But speaking to reporters including Cageside Press post-fight, he insisted that he had good moments. “It was close every single round,” he said. “What I feel I should have done is put the gas on a little more. I backed off, I let him recover. I just gave too much leeway. Instead of having that gas pedal on a little earlier, I felt comfortable with where I was in the fight. I felt confident, maybe more confident than I should have been in the scoring. The rounds just got away from me.”

“Every round was tight though. I’m not too down about it,” MacDonald continued. “Just obviously wish I could have done a little more throughout the fight.”

In the mind of the ‘Red King,’ “I thought I was up 2-1 by the third. Fourth I thought I was up. I really thought I was doing well.” MacDonald, however, admitted that Lima landed “great shots too. It’s not like I thought ‘for sure I won that round!'”

Rory MacDonald remains confident, despite the loss, that he can hang with the top dogs. And he rebuked criticism from fans that finding Jesus has made him lose his killer instinct. “I think they have a bad perspective on it. I feel like Jesus has made my life rich, and changed my life around completely, from a dark place, to a place of joy and peace. Now I have purpose and fulfillment in my heart.”

“Most times after a loss, I probably wouldn’t be talking with you. But I’m blessed, and I know God has good things in store for me,” he continued. “Losing one fight doesn’t change my faith or my perspective on God. I know he has good plans for me.”

MacDonald also discounted the idea that years of tough fights have taken their toll. Instead, he said, he had a game plan he felt would work. “I don’t feel like I’ve taken so much damage, or I’m unhealthy. I’m 30 years old, and I’m healthier than ever. I don’t agree with those statements of being beat up, or anything like that. I feel great.”

With their career series now split at one fight each, a rubber match between MacDonald and Lima looms. “It’s very likely. We had two close fights,” said MacDonald. “He won one, I won one. It’s kind of inevitable that we’ll probably fight again.”

And while nothing about Saturday’s performance screams immediate rematch, MacDonald “wouldn’t say no” to the idea. “If they want to do it, they can do it,” he said. Only one problem: MacDonald’s Bellator deal has run out. “First I’ve got to re-sign. My contract expired, so we’ve got to deal with that situation. But obviously if they want to give me a title shot, sure.”

If not Lima right away, then another fight appeals to MacDonald: a rematch with Jon Fitch. MacDonald fought to a draw with Fitch earlier in the grand prix. “I didn’t agree with that draw, and I’d like to put a stamp on that,” he said.

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press scrum with Rory MacDonald above!

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Uncasville, CT — Douglas Lima and Rory MacDonald 2 did not live up to expectations. That fact is rather hard to deny, after MacDonald executed a cautious, calculated game plan in the welterweight grand prix finale at Bellator 232 on Saturday.

The fight was more of a chess match, with MacDonald staying on the outside, eluding Lima’s deadly leg kicks, and trying to time his way inside for takedown attempts.

They failed. Lima stuffed takedown after takedown en route to reclaiming the welterweight title. Speaking to reporters including Cageside Press after the fight, Lima said that “I’m still kind of processing everything, but it feels good. I’m happy I got the win.”

“I have to go back and watch the fight, but it wasn’t as exciting as we were expecting,” he admitted. Rory MacDonald, however, was “as tough as they come. He came with a great game plan. Moved a lot. So it was a little hard to time everything, but I think we did damage. We defended the takedown. And we got the win. That’s what matters.”

“I feel amazing,” Lima added, with two belts — the welterweight title, and grand prix tournament belt, sitting next to him on the podium.

Years ago, struggling with injury, Lima was told by doctors his career could be over. “Today I’m here, three-time world champion, and I beat one of the best in the world to do it,” he exclaimed. “I’m proud of myself for that.”

Heading into the fifth and final frame, his corner told him to “leave everything in there.” They reminded him of the pair’s first fight. “Don’t let him that control,” they said.

“He still ended up on top in that last minute, I’m still kind of bummed out about that. He landed a nice job in that fifth round as well,” Lima observed. But it mattered not. Two judges awarded all five rounds to Lima anyway.

With two belts and a million dollars in prize money, Lima was asked which mattered more. “Of course everybody’s going to think money, and if I say the belt, people are going to say I’m lying,” he answered. “But I’m not. [The belt] is important to me. Money comes and goes. That’s a bonus. Maybe it’s because it didn’t settle in yet. Maybe it’s because I didn’t deposit it yet. But it still doesn’t feel real. But this [the belt] right here is real for me.”

“It’s important for me to be a champion, especially in an organization like this where it’s growing,” he added. “There’s a lot of killers out here, the division is deep. I’ve just got to prove a lot more. I’ve just got to keep improving, defend this thing. But definitely the belt is more important for me.”

And yes, he agreed, winning the grand prix means he’s the best in the world. “Definitely. If you don’t believe me, come and beat me.”

Watch the full Bellator 232 post-fight press conference with Douglas Lima above!

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