Paddy Pimblett is preparing to face Michael Chandler at UFC 314 and intends to alert the referee to watch Chandler closely for potential foul play during their fight.
In the lead-up to their co-main event bout, Pimblett has addressed accusations of cheating against Chandler, stemming from incidents in previous fights. Specifically, Chandler`s strikes to the back of Charles Oliveira`s head and a fish-hooking incident against Dustin Poirier have been highlighted as examples of questionable tactics.
Pimblett believes these incidents suggest a pattern of Chandler seeking unfair advantages and hopes the referee will be vigilant on fight night to ensure fair play.
“Outside the cage, he seems like a nice guy, but inside, he fights dirty, doesn`t he?” Pimblett commented during UFC 314 media day. “I get the mentality of ‘if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying’ to some extent, because winning is the ultimate goal in this sport.”
“But yes, I`m likely going to mention to the referee backstage to watch out if he tries to grab my gloves or attempts eye pokes.”
Typically, before each fight, all fighters meet with the assigned referee backstage. While the referee assignments for UFC 314 are not yet public, these meetings usually involve warnings about fouls and discussions about what conditions would warrant a fight stoppage.
Fighters can also request a different referee from the athletic commission. Pimblett expressed his hope that Keith Peterson will not be officiating his fight against Chandler, referencing Chandler`s fight with Charles Oliveira where he landed multiple strikes to the back of the head.
“That fight against Charles, where he hit him in the back of the head numerous times, makes me hope Peterson isn’t the referee,” Pimblett stated. “Ideally, we’ll have a good ref like Marc Goddard or Jason Herzog. I want a referee who won’t allow consistent rabbit punches to the back of my head.”
Pimblett also pointed to another incident in Chandler’s fight against Justin Gaethje, saying, “The eye poke against Gaethje was also bad, where he poked him and then punched him hard when the ref moved to intervene.”
Despite Chandler`s denials of intentionally cheating, Pimblett is taking precautions as he approaches their UFC 314 matchup.
Pimblett acknowledges that Chandler might resort to any means necessary to secure a win, and he is preparing for all possibilities in what he considers the most significant opportunity of his UFC career.
“Like I said, Chandler is a very nice guy outside the octagon,” Pimblett reiterated. “I even bumped into him yesterday and we had a chat. But once he`s in there, he becomes a very dirty fighter.”
For Pimblett, the stakes are high. A victory over Chandler would significantly advance him toward his ambition of becoming the UFC lightweight champion.
However, Pimblett anticipates that even a dominant win over Chandler might not earn him full recognition, a pattern he has become accustomed to.
“The goalposts are always moved for me,” Pimblett said. “Before the fight, everyone is saying ‘Chandler will knock him out, Paddy isn’t good.’ Then, if I beat him, the narrative will shift to ‘He’s 2-4 in the UFC, he’s 38, he’s washed up.’ I’m used to it now. I just go out there and prove my worth by winning.”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely