Worst: MMA Winner Gets Karma Flipping Off KO’d Fighter
The MMA fighter Drew Chatman celebrated his first-ever victory in most worst way… and his choice in celebration cost him the victory he’d just achieved.
In one of the most bizarre scenes in recent MMA history you’ll see inside the cage, heavyweight Drew Chatman won his first bout after opponent Irvins Ayala knocked himself out.
In the video of the sequence, in which Ayala caused Chatman to fall backward onto the mat and went in for his own knockout blow, only to hit his chin on Chatman’s knee and turned his own lights out.
After the referee waved off the fight and awarded the victory to Chatman, he got up and performed a celebration that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Friday’s LFA 36, held in Cabazon, Calif.
Chatman stood on the back of his passed-out opponent and attempted a front flip.
The completely unnecessary and disrespectful celebration act got Chatman a disqualification and handed the win instead to Ayala.
Chatman was also suspended for 90 days by the California State Athletic Commission, and his pay for the fight was withheld, as he was ruled to have committed violations including striking his opponent after the fight, unsportsmanlike conduct and hitting an opponent in the referee’s care.
Check out the video below:
LFA tweeted:
So this happened after we went off air from #LFA36 last night. Thoughts?
https://twitter.com/AXSTVFights/status/977578707966545925
Irvins Ayala KO'd himself throwing a hammerfist on the ground, when his chin slammed into Chatman's knee, who was on his back in guard.
Chatman is then DQ'd at 2:39 of Round 1 for jumping on the back of an unconscious Ayala.
Weird Fight.#LFA36@AXSTVFights @MorongoCasino
— LFA (@LFAfighting) March 24, 2018
The 23-year-old Chatman speaking with MMA Fighting said:
“Let me be honest with you, man. I don’t deserve to get paid for that. It’s disappointing watching that.
My mother has to see that. People that look up to me and see me become an inspiration to them have to look at that. … It just happened so fast.
So, the rules are the rules,” he continued. “And at the end of the day, when you actually look at what took place, I’m okay with having my pay taken away. I’m okay with being suspended 90 days. I’m okay with that. Because you can’t get that back.
The video is priceless. I have to look back at that and live with regret every single day.”
Chatman apologies to Ayala:
“I’m not going to play the victim here, because when you look at it the real victim here is Irvins Ayala,” Chatman said. “Let’s just be real. He showed up, he fought. It was an unfortunate mishap, but it did not have to end that way.”
Chatman expressed regret for possibly giving MMA a negative connotation, it was my first fight, and the crowd was more on Ayala’s side, “it was a lot of nerves, it was a lot of emotions”.
“I know that after this happened a lot of MMA guys might be upset, because I’m giving them a bad name for people who are not even familiar with mixed marital arts,” said Chatman, who acknowledged that his nickname, “The Honorable,” had earned some mockery. “Someone who doesn’t even watch mixed martial arts might turn on the television and see this and then think, ‘This is how these cage fighters are.’”
“My name is not perfect. … And I’m not ever going to be perfect,” Chatman added. “But I will guarantee you this: It will never happen again.”
LFA 36 was an easy night at the office for the judges, as not one fight managed to go the distance.
Published: 26 March, 2018 | 2:29 PM EDT
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