UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett aims to have an in-depth chat with the referee before his UFC 314 fight.
Paddy Pimblett is aware of the reputation Michael Chandler has earned from some of his fighting colleagues after some questionable tactics inside the Octagon. But ahead of their fight at UFC 314, Pimblett plans to make sure the presiding referee is equally aware of any potential infractions.
Pimblett faces the toughest test of his UFC career against Chandler in the UFC 314 co-main event this Saturday in Miami. After an unbeaten run in his UFC tenure, Pimblett will face a big step up in competition in Chandler, who is looking to return to the win column for the first time since UFC 274.
While Pimblett and Chandler share mutual respect, Pimblett is concerned about the lengths Chandler might be willing to go to secure a win at UFC 314.
Paddy Pimblett warns officials of ‘dirty b——‘ Michael Chandler ahead of UFC 314
Several of Chandler’s former rivals, including Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, have scolded the UFC star for unethical actions inside the Octagon. In Chandler’s most recent outing against Oliveira at UFC 309, Chandler appeared to land a slew of punches to the back of Oliveira’s head, which should’ve been pointed out by the referee.
Pimblett wants to make sure that a similar incident doesn’t happen at UFC 314.
During his UFC 314 media day press conference, Pimblett pleaded for a veteran referee to watch for any dirty tactics from Chandler in their upcoming fight.
“He’s the nicest man in the world outside the cage, and when he gets in there, he’s a dirty b—– ain’t he?” Pimblett said. “But I always say if you ain’t 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.
“But I’ll probably mention to the referee in the back, [to watch] if he’s going to grab my gloves or poke me in the eye, stuff like that…
“That last one against Charles when he punched him in the back of the head nine times or something…I’m hoping that’s not my referee, I hope I’ve got a good ref with [Marc] Goddard or [Jason] Herzog. Someone who won’t let me get punched in the back of the head consistently…he’s a very dirty man.”
Chandler lost to Oliveira by unanimous decision, despite a late rally in their UFC 309 rematch.
Ahead of UFC 314, Pimblett sought counsel from one of Chandler’s former rivals who knocked him out in just 61 seconds. Patricio ‘Pitbull’ will make his UFC debut at UFC 314 this Saturday against Yair Rodriguez.
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Paddy Pimblett set up his next potential fight with a win at UFC 314
If Pimblett is victorious at UFC 314, he could potentially be in line for a No. 1 contender fight against another top lightweight. In recent days, Pimblett and UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan have traded barbs over Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 withdrawal.
Pimblett questioned Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 withdrawal due to a back injury just hours before his scheduled fight with Islam Makhachev. Renato Moicano was then promoted to the main event slot, losing to Makhachev by first-round submission.
But Pimblett isn’t the only one to question the nature of Tsarukyan’s hours-notice decision to pull out of the UFC 311 main event. Joe Rogan claimed that a botched weight cut might’ve been the primary reason behind Tsarukyan withdrawing from the event.
Pimblett and Tsarukyan could potentially be on a collision course after UFC 314, as Tsarukyan will need to win at least one fight before earning another title shot. Regardless of the Pimblett vs. Chandler outcome, the UFC 314 co-main event is expected to shake up the lightweight division.
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