"He took like 15 shots to the ear” - Michael Chandler revisits Round 5 against Charles Oliveira and reacts to surprising refereeing
Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler clashed at UFC 309 on Nov. 16. Their fight went all five rounds, with the Brazilian securing victory via unanimous decision after a dominant performance.
But Chandler nearly secured an all-time comeback win after he had 'do Bronx' in trouble during Round 5. 'Iron' needed a stoppage in order to win, and after landing a massive right-hand early in the round, he had Oliveira in serious trouble.
A wild scramble against the fence saw Chandler secure top position and rain down with strikes on his vulnerable opponent. But many of the punches landed to the back of Oliveira's head, which left commentator Daniel Cormier stunned as referee Keith Peterson just stood by and watched.
The incident has left fans and fighters baffled, as the American was not warned nor a point-deducted despite the severe fouls.
Several days after UFC 309, Chandler appeared on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast and revisted Round 5. Interestingly, 'Iron' noted that his punches struck Oliveira's "ear", and not the back of his head.
He said:
"The referee was right there dude. I mean, he took like 15 shots to the ear. 15. And I was like, 'Is this referee gonna step in, dude?'"
Chandler continued:
"I would want the exact same thing. If I was up three rounds or four rounds to one or none, and Charles Oliveira clipped me, I would want the referee to not step in unless it's life or death situation... This is where my humility comes in."
Check out Michael Chandler's comments below (34:00):
Charles Oliveira comments on Michael Chandler's fouls at UFC 309
UFC 309 saw Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler do battle in a re-run of their UFC 262 bout for the lightweight title.
The Brazilian managed to secure victory in both fights, but the bouts played out in stark contrast to each other. Their most recent clash went all five rounds, with 'do Bronx' surviving a late scare to secure a decision win.
Following the latest fight, he appeared at the post-event press conference and commented on Chandler's numerous fouls during the fight. He said:
"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 kept calling for his attention, and nothing would happen. I would hope that he would intervene, but nothing happened." [Via translator]
Check out Charles Oliveira's comments below (2:08):