SAN JOSE, Calif. — After Ryan Bader’s Bellator heavyweight title defense on Saturday night ended with a no contest based on the ruling that he accidentally poked challenger Cheick Kongo in the eye in a fight the champion was dominating, the question is what happens next in the heavyweight title picture.
And it seems too soon to have an answer.
The arguments go this way. A no contest from an eye poke by the champion at 3:50 of the first round should give Kongo grounds for a title rematch. But Kongo wasn’t looking good as a challenger.