Micheal Chiesa har fortfarande inte släppt sin kontroversiella förlust mot Kevin Lee förra månaden. Chiesa lämnade in en överklagan men fick avslag. Nu verkar Chiesa ha ändrat taktik.
Fjäderviktaren har nu, i det senaste avsnittet av the TheMMAHour, utmanat domaren Mario Yamasaki till en grapplingmatch på Onnit Invitational den 30:e september.
Onnit is having an invitational on Sept. 30, so this is my open challenge to Yamasaki. I would like to test his fifth degree black belt in a friendly grappling match and let’s see if he’s what he says he is. And I’m not saying it in a hostile way, I’m saying, ‘hey, if you’re a fifth degree black belt, you should back up for the decisions you made.’ As a martial artist myself, that’s my open challenge to him, to headline Onnit Invitational on Sept. 30.
Det var under UFC Fight Night 112 som Lee hade Chiesas rygg och ett rear naked choke som såg ut att sitta som det skulle. Domaren Yamasaki stoppade matchen, trots att Chiesa inte hade tapat. Chiesa var snabbt upp på fötter efter stoppet och sa i efterhand att han aldrig var medvetslös. Yamasaki, som har svart bälte i brasiliansk Jiu-Jutsu, har i efterhand sagt att han står fast vid stoppet och att Chiesa var medvetslös.
The second Mario Yamasaki walked into my locker room me, Sam [Sicilia] and my coach Ric we looked at each other like, ‘oh f*ck’,” Chiesa explained. I’m not here to try to bash the guy but he’s got a track record for not the best at officiating.
I know he’s a fifth degree black belt and that’s all fine and dandy, but that doesn’t mean he’s a fifth degree black belt in officiating. I feel like he’s fallen behind a little bit, and I think it’s sad when a referee walks into your room and you and your teammates are looking at each other like, ‘oh shit, we got this guy’. I like the work of Herb Dean, “Big” John, Dan Miragliotta, and I think the best ref in the business is Josh Rosenthal, but unfortunately we can’t have him. It sucks when an official walks into your room and you’re like, ‘crap,’ and it’s just a crappy feeling.
