The exciting UFC 309 fight card took place at Madison Square Garden with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones headlining the event. Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira featured in the co-main event. While the event was a tremendous success, some controversial moments are still being discussed. Recently, Chandler spoke about one of the contentious moments from his fight against Oliveira.
Over the years, multiple instances have occurred where UFC fighters have criticized the commentary provided by Joe Rogan, Jon Anik, and Daniel Cormier. This time, Michael Chandler has expressed his concerns regarding the commentary team. Chandler recently appeared on the Ariel Helwani Show and specifically called out the commentators for misinterpreting certain controversial moments of the fight.
Watching it on TV wasn’t as appealing to me… A little bit of commentary (bothered me) when it comes to some of the stuff they were saying, the misinterpretation of what the back of the head is by the unified rules of Mixed Martial Arts, the misinterpretation of what cage-grabbing is, and a couple of different things…
Michael Chandler via The Ariel Helwani Show
During Chandler’s highly anticipated rematch against Charles Oliveira, a notable moment captured everyone’s attention. In that exchange, Chandler had Oliveira on the ground and landed several strikes to the back of his head. Chandler claimed that he followed an unsaid rule in MMA while delivering those strikes.
Michael Chandler talks commentary during his UFC 309 fight.#HelwaniShow pic.twitter.com/zqU8EVrrET
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 27, 2024
The ‘Iron’ believes that the UFC commentators misinterpreted a key moment of his fight for the general public. According to the American fighter, Joe Rogan and his team were about 35 feet away from the action, which affected their ability to accurately convey the situation to the audience.
However, Chandler maintains that he did nothing wrong and did not land any illegal strikes against Oliveira. Interestingly, in contrast to Chandler’s claims, the Brazilian fighter has accused him of fouling during the match.
Charles Oliveira disappointed after Michael Chandler’s alleged illegal strikes
Michael Chandler is a veteran in the world of MMA and a former Bellator champion. A few years ago, he made his debut in the UFC. Since joining the promotion, Chandler has demonstrated an entertaining performances in his bouts. He has achieved notable knockouts against fighters like Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson.
Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira in action at UFC 309 (Image via UFC)Whenever Chandler steps into the Octagon for a fight at the UFC, he consistently entertains everyone with his unique MMA skills. However, when he finds himself in a losing position, he sometimes resorts to desperate, unhinged striking, which can be detrimental to his performance.
In his fight at UFC 309, this desperation was particularly evident in the fifth round, as he was down by four rounds. Amid his frantic attempts, Chandler landed some questionable shots to the back of the head. During the UFC 309 post-fight presser, Oliveira wanted better officiating from the referee.
I don’t want to criticize anyone, but I was hit too many times behind the head. He grabbed the cage a lot, I was poked in the eye too many times. We’re becoming more professionals every time more, and we don’t need any of that. I think the referee could have been more severe… He stood there looking like nothing was happening.
Charles Oliveira via UFC 309 post fight press conference
“There were a lot of blows to the back of the head, a lot of fence-grabbing. There was also some eye pokes.”
Charles Oliveira comments on Michael Chandler’s plethora of fouls at #UFC309. pic.twitter.com/eId359LpRA
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 17, 2024
Oliveira demonstrated his exceptional skill once again by emerging victorious in his fight against Chandler. This victory re-established him as a serious contender in the promotion. In contrast, Chandler faced another defeat, marking his fourth loss in six UFC fights. It will be interesting to see how things develop for Chandler in the promotion moving forward.
