Chiesa buries referee Yamasaki after being 'robbed' in loss to Lee
Warning: Video contains coarse language
A controversial end to his first UFC main event appearance has lightweight contender Michael Chiesa fuming.
Chiesa was submitted by Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 112 in Oklahoma City on Sunday, but the result was marred by referee Mario Yamasaki appearing to call the fight off early, as Chiesa didn't clearly tap or pass out while trapped in a rear-naked choke with just seconds left in the first round.
The 29-year-old fighter's reaction was immediate and direct:
Michael Chiesa has some choice words for referee Mario Yamasaki following the end of the Kevin Lee fight: "You should be f*cking fired!" pic.twitter.com/6zsVmQexmp
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 26, 2017
At the evening's postfight presser, he elaborated on his issues with Yamasaki, an official who has exhibited questionable decision-making in the past.
"Here's what's frustrating: You put a guy who's just swirled in controversy in charge of a main event?" Chiesa said, according to MMAjunkie's Fernanda Prates and John Morgan. "You realize that this affects ours lives. I'm not talking from a financial standpoint - I don't care about the money. You're talking - (if) I win this fight I go into the top five. I'm on the brink of a title shot.
"The opportunity got taken away from me. Now Kevin technically has got a win over me, swirled in controversy. That's taken away from him. And then the fans. You think the fans want to watch a main event on a Sunday night end like this? No. It's just pathetic."
Chiesa plans to both campaign for a rematch in Lee's hometown of Detroit and issue a formal complaint to the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission, but for now all he can do is vent his frustrations at Yamasaki.
"This is the main event - that is JV bull(expletive)," he said. "That guy is too focused on being some kind of playboy in front of the cameras, making his little heart logos. Maybe he should go back and read the (expletive) rule book.
"I'm not trying to sound like a poor sport, but it's really hard to be positive right now when I've been striving for this main event spot. And I get it. And it feels like I just got (expletive) robbed. It's hard not to feel that way."
Related: MMA community reacts to strange Chiesa-Lee finish at UFC Oklahoma City