Charles Oliveira issues statement on referee ignoring Michael Chandler's fouls at UFC 309

Charles Oliveira secured a second victory over Michael Chandler after a grueling five-round fight in the co-main event of UFC 309. Few expected their bout to go the distance, and there were moments in the rematch where both fighters were close to stopping the other.

In the fifth and final round of the fight, Chandler's burst while desperately seeking a finish saw him land a series of powerful punches that wobbled 'Do Bronx'. The Brazilian shot a takedown attempt to avoid further punishment, but during the scramble 'Iron' was able to land a concerning number of punches to the back of Oliveira's head.

Referee Keith Peterson had a full view of the illegal strikes but did nothing to stop or warn Chandler.

Aside from the illegal punches in the fifth round, the Missouri native seemingly poked his opponent in the eye multiple times and also held the octagon fence for what appeared to be nearly 20-odd seconds to avoid being taken down.

During the former champion's appearance at the post-fight press conference, he was asked to share his thoughts on the referee's lack of warnings to Chandler. Oliveira said:

"I'm not here to criticize, but I'm going to tell you something. 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]

Catch Charles Oliveira's comments below (2:08):

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Charles Oliveira shares first thoughts following win over Michael Chandler

Charles Oliveira is back in the win column following a dominant unanimous decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309.

The bout was labeled a lightweight title eliminator, with Oliveira now expected to face the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan. The 155-pound title fight has not been officially announced, but there have been hints that the rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan will take place in January for UFC gold.

Following the Brazilian's win over Chandler, he took to X to share a message with fans and joked about causing panic among his supporters after nearly being finished in the fifth round.

He wrote:

"I'm back... And I apologize for your heart rate [going] up in Round 5 (LOL). But Chandler is tough and hits hard. All respect. God bless us."

Check out Charles Oliveira's post below: