Michael McDonald’s Bellator MMA debut performance was a successful one, even with the broken hand that he suffered.
Former UFC bantamweight contender Michael McDonald prevailed in his Bellator MMA debut on Friday, defeating Peter Legier by unanimous decision in the Bellator 191 main event. It wasn’t the most scintillating contest, and McDonald missed the bantamweight limit, but he got back in the win column after more than a year of inactivity.
McDonald indicated in the post-fight interview that he broke his right hand, and now there’s visual evidence of the injury. Check out this tweet from “Mayday”:
I am proud of my performance & so should my opponent Peter. He truly rose to the occasion & put on a fantastic performance. I assume you all want to see the broken hand X rays lol. Here you go! Cant believe I fought another round busted like this lol. Praise God for adrenaline! pic.twitter.com/0RmlrqyU9J
— Michael McDonald (@MaydayMcDonald) December 16, 2017
It’s unfortunate for McDonald, who had a history of hand injuries while in the UFC, to suffer another broken hand in his first Bellator appearance.
The 26-year-old was granted his release from the UFC earlier this year, citing “dishonest” business practices, and signed with Bellator MMA shortly thereafter. McDonald is best known for his KO of former WEC champ Miguel Torres in 2012, which led to an (unsuccessful) interim bantamweight title shot vs. Renan Barao in 2013. Now under the Bellator banner, McDonald will look to rebuild his career after several years of inactivity.