Michael Chandler refutes cheating claims ahead of UFC 314

Former Bellator champion Michael Chandler has denied being a cheater ahead of his UFC 314 clash against Paddy Pimblett on Saturday in Miami.

Chandler has been accused of cheating multiple times, with Dustin Poirier claiming he grabbed his mouthguard during their fight at UFC 281 and others believing he intentionally struck Charles Oliveira on the back of the head last November.

But the American lightweight refutes these claims, insisting he “tries to do things right”.

“I mean, the narrative is tough, man,” Chandler said. 

“People don’t really know me. Unless you’re in my inner circle, you don’t know who I truly am outside of being in front of the camera. 

“People have their sneaky suspicions that I play nice in front of the camera, and I’m a bad guy behind the camera. 

“You’re always going to have those accusations, right?

“But I know who I am, and I know who I am at my core.

“I’m a guy who tries to do things right, tries to treat people right, do things with honor and respect. 

“So the cheating narrative is a little tough for me, but also, it’s all part of the court of public opinion.”

While Chandler claims to have never cheated on purpose, he acknowledges that sometimes things get messy in the octagon.

“Did I grab Dustin Poirier’s mouthpiece? Yes, I did, because I thought it was his chin,” he said. 

“Things happen in a fight. Are you going to reach over and grab the cage? Are you going to get your fingers in the glove? 

“Yeah. Those things are going to happen in a fight.

“In the last fight, Charles Oliveira dug his chin so deep into my eye socket that I thought I was going to go blind, which is illegal. It’s an eye gouge, right? 

“He was grabbing my gloves when he was trying to choke me. 

“These things happen when you’re inside of the cage. 

“I would never say that Charles Oliveira is a cheater. 

“His body is reacting and doing things without his brain’s permission. 

“You’re in fight or flight. Things happen.”

The cheating narrative is not the only challenge Chandler faces this week.

The 38-year-old urgently needs to get a win in the UFC, having lost four of his last five and two in a row now.

UFC betting sites have him as a moderate underdog to beat Pimblett on Saturday, pricing the contest at -161.29 to +130 in the Brit’s favor.

Leading bookmakers expect it to be entertaining, however, paying -188.68 for the fight to go over 1.5 rounds in Miami.

SPORTS NEWS