"The dirtiest fighter to ever exist" - Fans roast Michael Chandler for "gaslighting" fans about back-of-the-head strikes against Charles Oliveira

Michael Chandler has not endeared himself to the UFC faithful, with fans referring to him as a 'dirty' fighter in response to his recent interview with Ariel Helwani. The UFC lightweight appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, during which he denied striking Charles Oliveira on the back of the head.

Instead, Chandler claimed that his strikes hit the side of Oliveira's head, catching the ear. Naturally, Chandler's explanation did not sit well with fans, especially given the egregious nature of the many fouls he committed throughout the bout, which he also diminished by claiming to have resorted to them unconsciously.

One fan, who quoted and replied to Helwani's interview of Chandler questioned how Chandler could deny the back-of-the-head strikes despite there being footage of him using them. Unfortunately, it isn't the first time he has denied the foul.

"The levels of gaslighting here is so ELITE that he almost made me forget that there is literal footage of him doing it. Almost had me there, respect"

Other fans chimed in, with one comment under the tweet proclaiming Chandler as one of the "dirtiest" fighters in the sport, despite his attempts to explain away his behavior.

"The dirtiest fighter to ever exist in the UFC"

This was partially echoed by another fan.

"He's dirty for sure"

Another fan even parroted one of the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov's most iconic sayings.

"This is number 1 bullsh*t brotha"

Others expressed astonishment over Chandler's attempts at feigning innocence over egregious offenses.

"The guy could aw shucks his way out of a manslaughter charge."

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Michael Chandler's explanation for fouling Charles Oliveira

Ultimately, Chandler lost the bout to Oliveira at UFC 309, spending the majority of the fight getting dominated on the feet and on the ground despite a short-lived fifth-round rally.

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Michael Chandler has been accused of being a dirty fighter before

Unfortunately for Michael Chandler, his rule-breaking has gained more and more visibility. His rematch with Charles Oliveira, which saw him resort to illegal back-of-the-head strikes, fence grabs and glove grabs, isn't the only fight where he's been accused of fighting dirty. His past bout with Dustin Poirier also comes to mind.

Check out Michael Chandler fish-hooking Dustin Poirier:

During a grappling sequence wherein he tried to lock in a rear-naked choke, Chandler tried to hook his fingers inside Poirier's mouth to yank his head upward and expose the neck for the choke. He failed but also struck Poirier in the back of the head, among other offenses.