Ahead of their highly anticipated clash at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett has revealed his intentions to have a pre-bout conversation with the assigned referee regarding what he describes as Michael Chandler’s questionable in-cage tactics.
The Liverpool native didn’t mince words when discussing his upcoming opponent’s fighting style during a recent media session.
“He’s the nicest man in the world outside the cage, and when he gets in it, he’s a dirty bastard, isn’t he?” Pimblett said. “I mean, but I always say if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying. So I understand what he’s trying to do. He wants to win, and that’s the main thing when it comes to this game.”
Pimblett specifically mentioned plans to alert officials about potential fouls before they enter the octagon.
“I probably will mention to the ref in the back, like, if he’s going to grab my gloves and I’m going to save, he tries to poke me in the eye and stuff like that,” explained the rising UFC star.
The British fighter cited previous Chandler bouts where he believes rules were broken, particularly his contest with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
“That one against Charles, lad, when he punched him in the back of the head about nine times or something, and the ref, I hope that’s not my referee, put it that way,” Pimblett continued. “I hope I’ve got a good ref, like Goddard or Herzog. I don’t want to have a ref that’s just going to let me get rabbit punched in the back of the head consistently.”
Pimblett also referenced Chandler’s bout with Justin Gaethje, stating: “The one what he done to Gage, he was bad as well when he poked him in the eye, and then the ref went to stop him, and he just punched him in the face. He punched him in the face as hard as he could.”
Despite the accusations about in-competition conduct, Pimblett maintained that interactions with Chandler outside the octagon have been pleasant.
“As I say, Chandler’s a real nice fella outside the octagon. I’ve bumped into him yesterday and had a chat with him, but in there, he’s a very, very dirty man,” Pimblett concluded.
The matchup between these two dynamic lightweights is generating significant buzz as UFC 314 approaches, with fans eagerly anticipating how the referee assignment might impact the contest given Pimblett’s pre-fight concerns.
