Charles Oliveira recently took the opportunity to shed light on some questionable tactics used by Michael Chandler during their highly anticipated UFC 309 co-main event. It wasn’t just the action in the cage that caught fans’ attention. It was also some of the tactics Chandler employed, which ‘Do Bronx’ says went unpunished by the referee.
In the fight’s final round, Chandler landed a series of powerful punches that seemed to wobble Oliveira. In the scramble that followed, Oliveira went for a takedown to avoid further damage, but that’s when the problems started. He claimed Chandler repeatedly landed illegal strikes to the back of his head. Despite the clear illegal blows, referee Keith Peterson didn’t intervene or issue a warning.
“There were a lot of blows to the back of the head, a lot of fence-grabbing. There was also some eye-pokes, and I was telling [the referee] what was going on… I would hope that he would intervene, but nothing happened,” said Oliveira via translator at the UFC 309 post-fight press conference.
Charles Oliveira seemed to accept the way the fight went but was understandably upset that the rules weren’t enforced in a fair manner. It’s not every day you hear a fighter calling out the referee’s inaction, but Oliveira wasn’t about to let those illegal moves slide.
Charles Oliveira’s comments about Chandler’s fouls and the referee’s lack of intervention remind fans of the fine line between victory and controversy in the octagon. Fans and fighters alike can only hope that, moving forward, referees will be more vigilant.
Charles Oliveira Apologizes For A Close 5th Round Against Michael Chandler
‘Do Bronx‘ made his return to the octagon at UFC 309, where he faced Michael Chandler. The rematch was expected to be explosive. As it turned out, the fight didn’t disappoint, especially when it came to the drama of the fifth round.
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In the final moments of the fight, Chandler came charging at Oliveira with a sense of urgency. He unleashed a flurry of punches that rocked Oliveira, who appeared to be in trouble for the first time in the entire fight. For a brief moment, it seemed like Oliveira might be on the verge of being finished. After the fight, the former champion took to social media with a message for the fans.
“I’m back… And I apologize for your heart rate up in round 5th (LOL). But Chandler is tough and hits hard. All respect. God bless us.”
I'm back…
— Charles 'DoBronxs' Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) November 17, 2024
And I apologize for your heart rate up in round 5th (LOL)
But Chandler is tough and hits hard. All respect
God bless us#UFC309
It was a lighthearted apology for nearly giving his fans a collective panic attack. But it also served as a reminder of just how dangerous Chandler can be when he’s on the attack. Despite the near-ending sequence in the fifth round, Oliveira’s victory wasn’t in question. He had put on a dominant performance up until that point. In the end, he walked away with a unanimous decision win.
Also Read: Charles Oliveira Gives Honest Opinion On Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan Having Fought Both
