Michel Pereira disputes DQ loss – claims fight ending knee was legal
The co-main event at UFC Rio Rancho between Diego Sanchez and Michel Perreira ended in controversy – But should it have?
Last weekend’s UFC Rio Rancho ended with a bang. Polish striker Jan Blachowicz finished Corey Anderson via first round KO, setting the stage for a potential title fight. That main event followed the co-main event, the second fight on the card to end via disqualification. In the third round, Brazilian Michel Pereira threw a seemingly illegal knee to a grounded Diego Sanchez that caused an end to the fight. This was as Sanchez claimed he could not continue due to the knee to the face. As the knee was deemed illegal, Pereira lost the fight via disqualification – A fight he was clearly winning on the score cards up until then.
Other news:
- Manny Pacquiao signs with Conor McGregor’s management
- Darren Till having issues ahead of UFC 248 – Reaches out to Donald Trump
- Khabib Nurmagomedov will only fight “scumbag” McGregor in the streets
Now Pereira is claiming that his opponent took the easy way out. In a post on twitter, the Brazilian claims that the knee that struck Sanchez on the ground hit the chest, not the head.
“That was the knee that opened the cut on his forehead, the other knee took the chest,” Pereira wrote, and posted pictures to strengthen his claim.
That was the knee that opened the cut on his forehead, the other knee took the chest. Essa foi a joelhada que abriu o corte na testa dele, a outra joelhada pegou no peito @UFCBrasil @ufc @danawhite @UFCFightPass @canalCombate pic.twitter.com/jrqY8F379l
— Michel Pereira ufc (@UfcPereira) February 18, 2020
One person was quick to post a full video from the fight, though, which seems to show contact between knee and head before Sanchez is struck in the chest.
??♂️ might be the fact in the process of trying to hit him with your knee, Diego head cushioned the impact. Looks like it your knee hit his head first before his chest. pic.twitter.com/xH5gAUsqNK
— Deepaps_ (@Deepaps5) February 18, 2020
As Sanchez technically won the fight, he now holds victories in three out of his last four fights. Aside from this DQ win, he also defeated touted young prospects Craig White and Mickey Gall. His most recent loss came to top welterweight contender Michael Chiesa.
One person who was seemingly impressed with Sanchez heart, was UFC superstar Conor McGregor. “Conor McGregor vs. Diego Sanchez,” the Irishman wrote in a tweet he later deleted. The seriousness of this supposed challenge has been discussed by many fans.
