Brent Primus claimed Bellator’s lightweight title tonight in dramatic fashion after Michael Chandler appeared to break his ankle early in their fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Round One:
Primus attempts a head kick to start that doesn’t pay off. Again Primus with a high kick as Chandler moves into range.
Jab for Chandler knocks Primus backwards. Strike from Primus and Chandler falls awkwardly to the mat.
He gets back up, but he doesn’t seem right and when Primus attacks again Chandler falls over. It seems he’s badly hurt his ankle.
He stands again, but whenever he moves his ankle is just buckling under him.
Chandler is trying to battle on regardless and remarkably he lands a punch that drops Primus. Primus gets back up though as Chandler tries to charge forward, but then drops to a knee again.
The referee decides to stop the fight and have a doctor look at the injury. Surely they have to call the fight now – you can’t just pause a fight for an injury of this nature.
Sure enough, after taking a minute to examine his limb it’s clear that Chandler is in no fit state to continue and the fight is waved off with 2.22mins on the clock.
So we have another shock upset, with Brent Primus being declared Bellator’s new lightweight champion due to Chandler’s freak injury!
Chandler would have fought on if he was allowed, but his ankle kept folding under him so that would have been a bad idea. It’s an unfortunate end to the fight though and these two will surely be locking horns again as soon as the former champion’s injury has healed.
