Paddy Pimblett says he will ask the referee to closely watch Michael Chandler for illegal tactics when they fight at UFC 314.
Leading up to their co-main event fight on Saturday, Pimblett spoke about accusations of cheating against Chandler from previous opponents. These accusations include illegal blows to the back of Charles Oliveira`s head in their December fight and Dustin Poirier`s claims of fish-hooking in their 2022 match.
Pimblett believes Chandler has a history of trying to gain an unfair advantage by bending the rules. He hopes the referee will be vigilant during their fight.
“Outside the cage, he seems like a really nice guy, but once he’s fighting, he’s a dirty fighter, isn’t he?” Pimblett commented at the UFC 314 media day. “I get the mentality of ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying’ because winning is the ultimate goal in this sport.”
“So, yes, I’m likely going to mention something to the referee beforehand. If he grabs my gloves illegally, or tries to eye-poke me, I’ll definitely speak up.”
Typically, before each fight, all fighters meet with the assigned referee backstage. While the referees for UFC 314 haven`t been publicly announced yet, they usually give warnings about fouls and explain what they need to see to stop a fight if necessary.
Fighters can also request a different referee from the athletic commission. Pimblett hopes Keith Peterson is not assigned to his fight with Chandler, recalling Peterson`s officiating in Chandler`s fight with Charles Oliveira where illegal back-of-the-head punches were seemingly missed.
“In the Charles fight, Chandler hit him in the back of the head multiple times. I hope that’s not our referee,” Pimblett stated, preferring referees like Marc Goddard or Jason Herzog who are known for being attentive to fouls. “I don’t want a referee who will let me get hit with rabbit punches repeatedly.”
Pimblett also mentioned an incident in Chandler’s fight with Justin Gaethje, where he believes Chandler eye-poked Gaethje and then struck him when the referee moved to intervene.
Despite Chandler denying any intentional cheating, Pimblett is taking precautions as he prepares for their UFC 314 fight.
Pimblett acknowledges that Chandler might do anything to secure a win and is ready for any situation in what he considers the biggest opportunity in his UFC career.
“Like I said, Chandler seems like a very nice guy outside of fighting,” Pimblett reiterated. “I even ran into him yesterday, and we had a friendly chat. But inside the octagon, he becomes a very dirty competitor.”
For Pimblett, this fight is crucial for his ambition to become the UFC lightweight champion. A victory over Chandler would significantly advance him towards his goal.
However, Pimblett anticipates that even a dominant win over Chandler might not be fully recognized by critics, a pattern he has become accustomed to.
“The expectations constantly change with me,” Pimblett said. “Before the fight, everyone’s saying ‘Chandler’s going to knock him out, Paddy’s not that good.’ But if I win, the narrative will shift to ‘Chandler is past his prime, he has a poor UFC record.’ I’m used to it now. I just focus on going out there and proving my skills by winning.”
