Paddy Pimblett wants Marc Goddard or Jason Herzog to referee his fight with Michael Chandler over fears his rival could cheat.
Pimblett will take on the biggest challenge of his UFC career to date as he steps up to take on seasoned lightweight contender Chandler at UFC 314 in Miami.
Chandler is as rough and aggressive as they come, and is a real threat with his venomous power and all-action style.
But the American has been accused of ‘cheating’ in the past and pushing the boundaries of MMA rules, including in his most recent defeat to Charles Oliveira last year.
As a result, the Liverpudlian has increasingly voiced his concerns that he could fall victim to the same tactics.
And he has suggested he will speak to the allocated referee before the fight.
He said at the UFC 314 media event: “He’s the nicest man in the world he outside the cage and then when he gets in there he’s a dirty b*****d, isn’t he?
“I always say if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying. I understand what he’s trying to do. He wants to win.
“That’s the main thing when it comes to this game. But yeah, I probably will mention to the ref in the back, if he’s going to grab my glove I’m going to say [something].
“If he tries to poke me in the eye and stuff like that.
“That one against Charles when he punched him in the back of the head about nine times or something and I hope that’s not my referee.
Put it that way. I hope we’ve got a good ref like [Marc] Goddard or [Jason] Herzog.
“I don’t want to have a ref that’s just going to let me get rabbit punched in the back of my head consistently.”
Pimblett has yet to be beaten in his UFC career, beating King Green last time out in July.
He was given real problems by Jared Gordon, whom he was perhaps fortunate to beat in 2022.
But his eyes are on the prize, which could be an imminent UFC lightweight title shot as he climbs through the ranking.
For Chandler, it has been a period of frustration suffering with inactivity for a year, after losing out on his showdown with Conor McGregor last July.
He too wants to return to the higher ends of the rankings, and at least put his name into the mix for a shot at champion Islam Makhachev.
But Pimblett believes a victory gives him the best springboard to launch for a shot at the division’s king.
He said: “The plan is to beat Michael Chandler, then fight again in Abu Dhabi in October.
“Hopefully I get to fight someone in the top four, top five, and then I can ask for a title shot in 2026.
“When I got asked to do a five-round fight, they were not sure if I would say yes.
“But, yeah, obviously, as he is getting finished in two. It does not matter how many it’s scheduled for, everyone can expect a finish come April 12.”
