Alex Oliveira Clarifies What Really Made Him Tap At UFC 231
Alex Oliveira clarifies the reason that he tapped out in his latest fight under the UFC banner. Oliveira lost to Gunnar Nelson by second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 231. The event went down on Saturday, December 8, 2018, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
In the fight, Nelson was able to slice open Olivera with a nasty elbow that led to him getting back mount and locking in the choke for the win. Now, Olivera is claiming in a recent interview that he didn’t tap due to the submission. Instead, it was due to taking that dangerous elbow thrown by Nelson.
”The rear-naked choke was in, but I was alive, I was fine. The problem was all that blood,” Oliveira said to MMA Fighting). “When I put my hand on my forehead I felt everything was f***ing open, I couldn’t see anything. Even if I made out of that round, the referee wouldn’t let me continue.”
As a result of this loss, it snapped Oliveira’s two-fight winning streak. On the flip side, Nelson got back to the winning column a year after a loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio. For Oliveira, he’s looking forward after his latest hurdle.
”This loss was a win for me. We also learn when we lose, right?” Oliveira said. “I keep my head held high. Let’s prepare for the next one. I can’t train now, but I can’t stand still. I need to do something. Losses are part of the game, we understand that. That elbow changed everything. It was his day, not mine, and I accept it. Let’s work for the next one.”
