The conclusion of Alex Oliveira’s UFC 207 bout with Tim Means was controversial to say the least. Despite Oliveira’s knee being down on the canvas, Means connected with two knees to the head and time was called. “Cowboy” was down and holding his head and the fight was ruled a no contest.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) VP of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner incorrectly said the knee was legal. Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, you can’t knee an opponent on the head with that opponent’s knee down. Even with new rule changes in place, the knee is still illegal.
Under ordinary circumstances, this would be ruled a disqualification. Referee Dan Miragliotta said he believes Means’ knees were accidental. “The Dirty Bird” admitted the knees were thrown intentionally. Oliveira’s manager recently said the team would appeal the result.
Combate reached out to “Cowboy” for comments:
“It’s not the first time I spent Christmas and New Year’s fighting and training. We stayed away from everything, the people we love the most, our children and our family. It was intentional what he did. He spoke the truth. The wrong thing is to give the “No Contest,” which upset me the most. I hope they fix the mistake, that weighs on our career. I was dizzy, I wanted to go back to the fight. It was f **. The organization did not let me come back for safety, I was groggy. I knew he was going to give me a knee when I was getting up, but not in the head, so I blocked my belly so the blow would not come. The first knee shook me more, the second not so much. I was dizzy, I wanted to get back into the fray, I wanted to stand, but my legs did not match, “said Cowboy, whose team resorted to trying to change the result.”
Oliveira said he’s eager to get another crack at Means. He isn’t happy with his last opponent intentionally throwing an illegal knee.
“I was annoyed that he knew that it was illegal and that he threw the knee. It would be a fight, the fight was good. He was winning, (he) did not need to hit my head when I was on three supports. I hope you review it right and do it right. I trained a lot, I dieted and it happened. It’s chatão. I hope to make this fight again to make the difference in Fortaleza. It does not matter who wins or loses, but it’s a good fight for both of them. There was no fight. We have to see who will be the champion: him or me.”
