Paddy Pimblett is preparing for his UFC 314 fight against Michael Chandler and intends to speak with the referee beforehand. Pimblett wants the ref to pay close attention to Chandler, suggesting he might use illegal tactics during their match.
Leading up to their co-main event fight on Saturday, Pimblett brought up accusations of cheating against Chandler. These accusations come from several past opponents. Specifically, Chandler was criticized for hitting Charles Oliveira in the back of the head and for fish-hooking Dustin Poirier in previous fights.
Pimblett believes there are more instances where Chandler has tried to unfairly gain an advantage by bending or breaking the rules. He hopes the referee will be alert to this during their fight.
“Outside the cage, he seems like a really nice guy, but once he`s fighting, he becomes dirty,” Pimblett commented at the UFC 314 media day. “I get the mentality of ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying’ to some extent because everyone wants to win in this sport.”
“Because of this, I will probably mention something to the referee backstage. I`ll say something if he tries to grab my gloves or poke me in the eye, things like that.”
Before each fight, all fighters meet with the assigned referee backstage. Typically, referees warn fighters about fouls and explain what they need to see to stop a fight if a fighter is taking too much damage.
Fighters can also request a different referee from the athletic commission. Pimblett hopes that Keith Peterson is not assigned to his fight with Chandler on Saturday.
Pimblett mentioned the fight where Chandler hit Charles Oliveira in the back of the head multiple times, saying, “I hope that’s not my referee. I’d prefer a good ref like Marc Goddard or Jason Herzog. I don’t want a referee who will let me be hit in the back of the head repeatedly.”
He also pointed to another incident against Justin Gaethje where Chandler poked Gaethje in the eye and then punched him when the referee tried to intervene.
Chandler has denied intentionally cheating in his fights, but Pimblett is not taking any chances as they prepare to face off at UFC 314.
Pimblett understands that Chandler might do anything to win and is ready for any situation in what he considers the biggest opportunity in his UFC career so far.
“Like I said, Chandler is a genuinely nice guy outside of fighting,” Pimblett reiterated. “I actually ran into him yesterday and we talked. But inside the octagon, he’s a very dirty fighter.”
For Pimblett, this fight is crucial. He knows that defeating Chandler will bring him closer to his ambition of becoming the UFC lightweight champion.
However, Pimblett anticipates that even if he decisively beats Chandler, he still won`t receive full credit. He believes people will find reasons to downplay his victory, which he says is typical for him.
“The expectations are always changing for me,” Pimblett said. “Before the fight, everyone is saying ‘Chandler will knock him out, Paddy isn’t good enough.’ Then if I win, they’ll say, ‘He’s only 2-4 in the UFC, he’s 38 years old, he’s past his prime.’ I’m used to it now. I just go out there and prove my skill by winning.”
