Fans are worried about Paddy Pimblett ahead of the biggest fight of his MMA career.
‘The Baddy’ will square off against Michael Chandler in the UFC 314 co-main event on Saturday night.
In the build-up, Paddy Pimblett took part in a joint interview with the man he’ll face in Miami this weekend.
The lightweight duo flexed on each other by pushing their hands towards the camera in bizarre footage that has left some fans concerned, as the Englishman’s knuckles appeared to be badly swollen.
Fans react to Paddy Pimblett’s knuckles
Paddy Pimblett puts his knuckles on Luigi Vendramini’s chin to score a KO win in his 2021 UFC debut.
Now he’s 6-0 in MMA’s premier promotion, and days away from a monumental fight at UFC 314.
However, a viral video of his right hand has caused a massive reaction from disturbed MMA fans.
“Paddy’s hands are grotesque. They look super inflamed,” one fan said. While another asked: “WTF is wrong with Paddy’s hand?
“F— me, Paddy’s knuckles,” someone else commented.
“Paddy showing he has a slight injury,” another X user pointed out.
“Paddy’s injecting PEDs directly into those knuckles,” a fifth fan joked.
“Chandler s— his kecks,” this fan wrote.
Paddy Pimblett warns ref about ‘dirty’ Michael Chandler
Several of Chandler’s former rivals, including Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, have scolded the UFC star for unethical actions inside the Octagon.
In his most recent outing against Oliveira at UFC 309, Chandler appeared to land a slew of punches to the back of the former lightweight champion’s head, which should’ve been pointed out by the referee.
Pimblett wants to make sure that a similar incident doesn’t happen to him. 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.”
