UFC 309 certainly delivered some great action, but no fight was as exciting as the co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler. They were involved in one of the most memorable moments in the promotion’s history when ‘Iron’ slammed ‘Do Bronxs’ twice on the mat, although he didn’t win the bout. But in the aftermath of that instant classic, Chandler was caught landing far too many shots on the back of Oliveira’s head, which sparked a major discussion about his fighting methods.
As Michael Chandler gears up for UFC 314 to fight Paddy Pimblett, the Liverpudlian recently joined a panel of a few other fighters during a Q&A session with the fans. One of the questions from a person in the crowd revolved around Pimblett’s tactics to avoid getting hit in the back of his head. While he assured that the fight won’t last long, Pimblett said, “Well, it’s not gonna get to round 5. He’s gonna be finished before that.”
But then again, he claimed that it’s the referee’s job to make sure that they put a stop to these illegal shots from landing on a fighter. He even called the referee who officiated the fight between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira, Keith Peterson, for failing to take swift action and for his indecisiveness in judgment.
“It’s not on me, lad. It’s on the referee. You know what I mean? The referee was quite slow in the Charles Oliveira fight and he didn’t stop him,” Paddy Pimblett added. “So, Chandler just kept hammer-fisting the back of his head. It’s on the referee.”
May 16, 2021, Houston, Texas, USA: HOUSTON – May 15, 2021: for SPORTS. UFC No. 3 Lightweight Charles Oliveira of Brazil red gloves defeats UFC No. 4 Lightweight Michael Chandler of the United States blue gloves in a Second Round TKO referee stoppage at the Toyota Center during UFC 262: Olivera vs. Chandler. Houston USA – ZUMAb177 20210516_zap_b177_061 Copyright: xTaidghxBarronx
Well, this is not the first time Michael Chandler’s been called out for his fight tactics because Dustin Poirier also opened up about his experience of getting punched in the back of the head. ‘The Diamond, since then, has never talked positively about the former Bellator champion. “Michael Chandler is a fake motherf—– and he’s a cheater. I could go on for days. He makes me pissed off,” Dustin Poirier stated in an interview a few years ago.
Well, Michael Chandler had an interesting response to the claims about his cheating during the fight, and he also pointed out the referee’s role in it. Here’s what he had to say.
Michael Chandler’s reaction after being called out for illegal punches at UFC 309
Well, Michael Chandler didn’t seem to deny that there were some mistakes during the fight, and he understands that people are pointing their fingers at him. However, he mentioned the problem with the smallest of margins and he claimed to have had most of his punches near Oliveira’s ear. Also, he ended his explanation by claiming that the referee didn’t say anything while it was going down, which led him to continue.
“If you watch 90 percent of the shots, at least, most of them, almost all of them, my fist was catching the ear. If you’re catching the ear, that’s not the back of the head. Actually, what you and I would call the back of the head is not the actual definition of what it is. That two-inch strip down the back of the head,” Michael Chandler stated on the Ariel Helwani show. “A referee who was within two feet away never said one thing about it.”
Well, we have all the opinions lined up here regarding Michael Chandler’s back-of-the-head punches. What is your opinion on all of this? Let us know in the comments down below.
The post “The Referee Was Quite Slow” – Paddy Pimblett Calls Out Huge Blunder in Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler UFC 309 Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.