Paddy Pimblett, the British UFC fighter with a big personality, opened up about Michael Chandler’s tricky ways in the cage. The two are set to throw down at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, in Miami, Florida. In a chat with Jon Anik on UFC’s YouTube channel, Paddy didn’t hold back. He said Chandler pulls some sneaky stuff, like hitting the back of the head or fish hooking, but he’s cool with it. Paddy figures it’s up to the ref to stop it, and he’d fight back hard if it happens to him.
Chandler’s Dirty Play
Paddy watched Chandler’s old fights and noticed some wild moves. He pointed out a fight with Charles Oliveira where Chandler kept smashing hammer fists to the back of Charles’s head.
“If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying. Like, that’s on the ref. He’s just throwing hammer fists at the back of Charles Oliveira’s head. Charles either needs to move his head, or the ref needs to say something to him. I did watch that fight the other day, though. He does hammer fist him 12 times on the back of the head. Just like that, and he knows what he’s doing. If I was in that position, I’m Charles, I’m saying, ‘Ref, what are you doing here? That was some bad refereeing right there,’” Paddy said.
He thinks Chandler knows exactly what he’s up to.
Poirier’s Trick Too
Paddy also brought up Chandler’s bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in 2022. Dustin said Chandler tried to fish hook him, slipping fingers in his mouth to win the choke. Paddy’s ready for that.
“But obviously I’ve seen the Poirier one as well. Then Poirier saying he tried to fish hook him to get the choke and stuff like that. I’ll do the same thing as Poirier. If that happens, I’ll bite his finger and try and cut it off with my teeth. Like, it’s one of them. But I always say, if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying!” he said.
Paddy plans to bite back if Chandler tries anything funny.
Paddy Pimblett was asked what would happen if Michael Chandler did to him what he did against Dustin Poirier. 👀
"I'll do the same thing as Poirier if that happens. I'll bite his fingers and try cut it off with my teeth🦷"
🎥 @espnmma pic.twitter.com/ArhRP3wcDa— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 16, 2025
Paddy Pimblett is a rising star from Liverpool, England. He’s undefeated in UFC with six wins since 2022, four by stoppage. At 30, he’s got a loud mouth and a fun style, ranking number 12 in the lightweight division. He’s aiming to climb higher with this fight.
Michael Chandler, a former Bellator champ, joined UFC in 2021. He’s 38 now, with a 2 and 4 record in the octagon. He’s beaten Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson but lost to big names like Oliveira twice, Justin Gaethje, and Poirier. He’s number 7 in the lightweight rankings.
