Michael Chandler fell on hard luck earlier tonight (Sat., June 24, 2017) at Bellator NYC live on pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, when he lost his Bellator lightweight title to undefeated challenger Brent Primus after tweaking his ankle early into the first round.
The bigger and longer Primus tried to play the angles early, but Chandler was able to sneak inside and mix the action up. But after jumping back after an exchange Chandler seemed to slip and roll his ankle. From that point on, Chandler could barely stand on his lead leg, while Primus unloaded relentless kicks to the injured limb. After Chandler was noticeably unable to stand on his own, the referee called for time to have the doctor’s check him out. Unfortunately for the champion, officials declared him unable to continue, awarding Freeman the TKO victory and the Bellator lightweight title.
This is an unfortunate turn of events for Chandler. The 31-year-old is one of the greatest fighters in Bellator history and deserved to be showcased on the biggest promotional card of 2017. Chandler will have to nurse his injured ankle before squaring off with Primus in a potential rematch.
For complete Bellator NYC results and coverage click here.