Chatman may face further punishment for viral dive attempt
Andy Foster: “When you’re dealing with it I’m trying to figure out what to call it, because it basically violated about four rules at the same time.”
CSAC Executive Director Andy Foster has competed in grappling, boxing, kickboxing, and professional MMA, and coached in those and more. He ran combat sports in Georgia and graduated to one of the largest markets on Earth – Cali. He has trained countless officials, serves on multiple committees for the Association of Boxing Commissions, and otherwise has seen it all.
But he never saw anything like what happened during Drew Chatman vs. Irvins Ayala at LFA 36 on Friday.
The 3 m springboard hopeful Chatman was hugely apologetic and Ayala was uninjured. However, Chatman he was disqualified, suspended for 90 days, and had his $500 purse withheld. But that may not be the end of it.
It is helpful that he has apologized publicly for this, but there’s no defense in what he did, said Foster to Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie. I had to watch the replay to believe what I thought I’d just saw. That’s an incredibly rare thing to do. There’s no defense for this whatsoever. I’m just at a bit of a loss at this, because I’ve never seen anything like this before.
When you’re dealing with it I’m trying to figure out what to call it, because it basically violated about four rules at the same time.
Ironically nicknamed ‘The Honorable’, Chatman at least does not appear to be facing a permanent ban from the sport.
I don’t foresee that right now, said Foster. He shouldn’t have done it. He knows he shouldn’t have done it. It’s totally unbecoming of the sport. It’s a discredit to mixed martial arts. But he’s admitted all of that. We implemented there cageside the maximum punishments we could do while we were there on the ground looking at it.
“We disqualified him, so therefore he lost the fight. When you’re disqualified you’re not able to receive compensation, so he didn’t get any money. Then we gave him a suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct, under Rule 390. Then I may do additional things to his license when I’m able to review it even further.
I just never have seen anything like that before. The biggest thing is everyone has to have their fights approved when they move forward, so we’ll be watching this one really close. I can assure you.
