Boston, MA – A victory for UFC middleweight Gregory Rodrigues came about when he finished Denis Tiuliulin via knockout at UFC 292 on Saturday night, but not without a bit of controversy.
Replay of the finish showed that Rodrigues may have landed illegal shots to the back of the head that the referee missed, but did not stop the action or take a point from Robocop.
“I didn’t hit that. I knew what I was doing there. (It) was right behind the ear,” Rodrigues told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.
Rodrigues (14-5) disputed what the commentary team and some fans online labeled as shots to the back of the head during the finish.
“If you guys saw the video I landed one, and he turned, and then I stopped it. Then I (felt he went) weak, and dizzy. Then I landed the other one, but it was right on the side (of the head) and then the ref came and stopped the fight,” he said.
“I hit him like two or three times, and that was (all that) was necessary for him to stop the fight, but I didn’t at all hit in the back of the head.”
Now with the victory under his belt he looks ahead to a bigger matchup. One name he brought up actually also got a win at UFC 292.
“Oh yeah. Brad Tavares just (won). If he wants to fight man I’m ready for December,” he said.
“Let’s go. December I want go go back and Brad Tavares is a great name for me.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Gregory Rodrigues above.
