Michael Chiesa had to be taken to the hospital as the result of an injury suffered ahead of his UFC 223 fight against Anthony Pettis this weekend after Conor McGregor went wild at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday.
McGregor attacked a bus during a confrontation with other fighters at media day, even going so far as to pick up a guard rail:
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Conor McGregor went wild at the #UFC223 press conference at Barclays ?? NSFW (via @feliceherrig) https://t.co/O8d8wij54K
According to ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Chiesa was hospitalized after suffering cuts to his face:
Brett Okamoto @bokamotoESPN
Dana White confirmed Michael Chiesa suffered an injury, cuts to the face, and is in the hospital. Artem Lobov has been pulled from UFC 223, per White, as he was apparently part of the crew that stormed the building.
Emil Grzelak posted (and has since deleted) footage of the incident from inside the bus during the incident. Warning: Video contains NSFW language.
Niall Harbison @NiallHarbison
Conor McGregor defo going to jail in USA after this. Insane footage from inside bus. Guy split open Via @emilgrzelak https://t.co/lg8ZCwFk7Y
Per Okamoto, UFC President Dana White called the incident "the most despicable thing in UFC history."
The 30-year-old Chiesa was looking to bounce back after losing his last fight to Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City back in January. That bout ended a three-match winning streak and dropped his record to 14-3-0.
This weekend was a chance for him to get back in the win column.
It's not clear how serious Chiesa's injury is or if it will affect the 6'1", 155-pound fighter's ability to step into the Octagon this weekend. It will, at the very least, affect his preparation in the days leading up to UFC 223.
view original article >>