Michael Chandler has spoken out about allegations from rivals and fans who call him a “dirty” fighter.
The former Bellator lightweight champion has faced accusations of bending the rules in his fights.
Dustin Poirier previously labeled Chandler a “dirty fighter” because of a fish hook incident during their November 2022 match at Madison Square Garden.
Additionally, fans called him a “cheater” after he struck Charles Oliveira with illegal blows to the back of the head during their UFC 309 fight last November.
Chandler, 38, finds these accusations upsetting. He told MMA Fighting, “This reputation is hard to deal with.”
“People don’t truly know me. Unless you are close to me, you don`t see who I really am outside of the public eye.”
“People suspect that I act friendly in public, but I`m a bad person in private.”
“You will always face these kinds of accusations.”
“But I know my true self. I am someone who tries to be ethical, treat people well, and act with honor and respect.”
“So, being called a cheater is difficult for me, but it’s also part of public perception.”
Chandler, who is fighting against Paddy Pimblett soon, insists that his past fouls were not on purpose.
“Did I grab Dustin Poirier’s mouthpiece? Yes, I did, because I thought it was his chin,” he explained. “I’ve already talked about that. Things happen in a fight.”
“Are you going to grab the cage? Will your fingers get inside the glove? Yes, these things can occur during a fight.”
“In the Oliveira fight, Charles Oliveira pushed his chin into my eye so deeply that I thought I might lose my sight, which is illegal. That`s an eye gouge, right?”
“He was also grabbing my gloves when trying to choke me. These things happen in the octagon.”
“I would never say Charles Oliveira is a cheater. His body reacts automatically in those situations.”
“You`re in fight or flight mode. Things just happen, so it’s a tough accusation.”
Chandler`s actions in the cage are something Pimblett is thinking about before their upcoming fight in Miami.
The fighter from Liverpool intends to remind the referee to watch out for these issues during their pre-fight rules meeting.
Elton Marrow