An injured Michael Chandler forced to quit after official pulls away corner stool: Throwback
Before signing with the UFC, Michael Chandler was a three-time lightweight champion at Bellator MMA. Among the notable moments of his storied Bellator career, his controversial title loss against Brent Primus in 2017 certainly stands out.
Four years ago today, Brent Primus gave Michael Chandler dead foot and eventually won via doctor stoppage. https://t.co/X0m8VeUgqS
During his second reign as champion, Michael Chandler attempted to defend his title for the second time against Brent Primus. Unfortunately, an error from a New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) official brought about an anticlimactic end to the fight.
Chandler rolled his ankle early on in the first round, allowing his opponent to attack with a barrage of shots. 'Iron' was seemingly suffering from the dropfoot phenomenon, which is brought about by damage to the peroneal nerve in the calf. Instead of calling a halt to the contest, the referee bizarrely called for a medical timeout.
Amidst getting his leg examined, another NYSAC official pulled the corner stool from under him as he momentarily stood up, causing him to fall back onto the mat. This resulted in an already injured Chandler enduring an embarrassing moment before seeing his title taken away.
Watch the video below:
Coach John Kavanagh on Michael Chandler vs. Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor will be opposing coaches in the next season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), following which the pair will go head-to-head inside the octagon. Shooting for the latest season of TUF has already begun, with the coaches' fight expected to go down later this year.
Chandler is an exciting opponent for McGregor given their contrasting fighting styles. He has been calling for a fight with the Irish superstar since signing with the UFC and is set to welcome him back to the octagon after a two-year hiatus.
In a recent interview with Sherdog, John Kavanagh gave his take on the matchup. The head coach of Straight Blast Gym Ireland outlined some of Chandler's qualities that McGregor will have to look out for:
"Michael Chandler throws big powerful punches, he has big powerful wrestling moves. You know, wouldn't be the slickest striker, and the grappling is, kind of, big double-leg takedowns... He's very effective with it, but it's kind of, brute force, a lot of energy, a lot of power."
Watch the interview below: