Eye Poke And Rampage Leads To Chaos At Bellator 226
At the SAP Center in San Jose, California, Bellator 226 ended on an anticlimactic note, as the heavyweight title fight between Ryan Bader and Cheick Kongo ended in a No Contest.
Bader got off to a good start, landing several strong left hands before taking Kongo down. Nearing the final minute of the round, however, Bader’s thumb went into Kongo’s eye, causing the French fighter to hold it in pain.
The Main Event is over after Kongo got poked accidentally in the eye. #Bellator226 pic.twitter.com/96CodjyJEw
— DAZN USA (@DAZN_USA) September 8, 2019
The doctor, after inspecting and talking with Kongo, waved off the bout. Referee Mike Beltran ruled the foul was accidental, and the bout was declared No Contest.
Following Bader’s post-fight interview, he and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, a former teammate of Kongo’s, got into a brief scuffle inside the cage before being separated.
#Bellator226 pic.twitter.com/NI4Yl9eKSA
— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) September 8, 2019
Most of the rest of the main card featured first-round action in the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix. Derek Campos dominated Daniel Straus on the ground towards a win in the co-main event, while Adam Borics, Pedro Carvalho and Emmanuel Sanchez each scored second-round finishes in their respective bouts to move on in the tournament.
The kid lands another knee!@AdamBorics advances in the Featherweight World Grand Prix!#Bellator226 #FeatherweightWGP pic.twitter.com/Z7YrZgMOmc
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) September 8, 2019
Bellator 226 Main Card (DAZN, 10 p.m. ET):
Bellator Heavyweight Championship: (c.) Ryan Bader vs. Cheick Kongo goes to a No Contest (accidental foul – eye poke) (Rd. 1, 3:52)
Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix First-Round Bout: Derek Campos def. Daniel Straus via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)
Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix First-Round Bout: Adam Borics def. Pat Curran via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:59)
Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix First-Round Bout: Pedro Carvalho def. Sam Sicilia via submission (face crank) (Rd. 2, 1:56)
Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix First-Round Bout: Emmanuel Sanchez def. Tywan Claxton via submission (triangle choke) (Rd. 2, 4:11)
Daniel Carey def. Gaston Bolanos via technical submission (guillotine choke) (Rd. 1, 4:19)