Dustin Poirier claims he nearly bit off Michael Chandler’s fingers at UFC 281: ‘I had a grip’
Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has once more hit out at long-standing rival, Michael Chandler, claiming he would have bitten off the former’s fingers if he was fighting without a mouthguard in their UFC 281 grudge fight — alleging the former cheated in an attempt to submit him.
Poirier, the current number four ranked lightweight challenger, is yet to book his slated retirement outing amid links to a summer comeback to the Octagon for one final fight in combat sports — claiming a potential UFC New Orleans event is in the works to host his comeback.
As for Chandler, the veteran former vacant title chaser is slated to co-headline UFC 314 in April, taking on surging Liverpool grappling talent, Paddy Pimblett over the course of five rounds in Florida.
Dustin Poirier goes in on bitter enemy, Michael Chandler
However, sharing a distinct rivalry since their UFC 281 meeting at the end of 2022, Poirier recently reflected on the pairing, claiming Chandler attempted to cheat during a submission attempt, and revealed he actually bit down on the Missouri native’s fingers in a bid to rip them off.
“He’s (Michael Chandler) fake, bro,” Dustin Poirier said during an interview with Outta Pocket with RGIII. “And he might be a good person at home, but my personal experience, he’s fake, man. But we do this knuckle sh*t, so I was even more mad. Let’s fight then. And he’s a cheater. Bro, I could go on for days. I get so amped up about this.
“I get p*ssed off, he does all kinds of stuff — blows the blood in my eyes after I break his nose. That’s cool, I’ve done that before, but I admitted it after. And then Chandler, I brought it up, and he said he didn’t do it. Just admit it, bro. You’re so fake.
“Then, he stuck his fingers in my mouth to lift my neck up for a rear-naked choke,” Dustin Poirier continued. “He’s on my back, I’m trying to get off the fence, he sticks his fingers inside my mouth, grips my mouth guard, pulls my head up to try to get his hand under my chin. Bro, I bite his fingers so hard.
“Let me tell you what, you heard it here first, if I didn’t have a mouth guard on my top teeth and my teeth could touch together, he’d be walking around [with two fewer fingers] forever. I had a grip so good because I felt my bottom teeth go into his skin. I bet you he was cut. He knows what I’m talking about, you h*e.”
