Ahead of their highly anticipated five-round co-main event at UFC 314 in April, Paddy Pimblett has weighed in on the accusations of Michael Chandler using underhanded tactics in his fights.
Past opponents like Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier have criticized Chandler for bending the rules. Gaethje claimed Chandler frequently deserves point deductions, while Poirier specifically pointed to Chandler putting fingers in his mouth during their 2022 bout.
However, Pimblett seems unfazed by these concerns. Instead of blaming Chandler, Pimblett puts the onus on referees to properly officiate fights and penalize rule-breaking actions. He cited Chandler`s fight against Charles Oliveira as an example, where Chandler landed multiple punches to the back of Oliveira`s head, seemingly without referee intervention.
“If you`re not cheating, you`re not trying,” Pimblett remarked in an interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik. He clarified that it`s the referee`s job to intervene when rules are violated, and fighters also need to protect themselves and alert the referee if necessary.
Specifically regarding Poirier`s claim of Chandler putting fingers in his mouth, Pimblett stated he would react similarly to Poirier and bite Chandler`s fingers if faced with the same situation during their UFC 314 fight.
Despite the accusations against Chandler, Pimblett isn`t overly worried about it affecting their upcoming match. He appears to take a pragmatic view, suggesting that fighters will often push boundaries to gain an advantage.
Looking ahead to the fight itself, Pimblett anticipates a knockout-focused approach from Chandler, which he believes will create openings for him to counter. Pimblett is confident in his striking and submission skills, suggesting he could win by knockout, TKO via leg kicks, or submission if the fight goes to the ground.
