UFC Star Claims Opponent Used Illegal Move During Brutal Fight

Dustin Poirier claimed Michael Chandler attempted to fish hook him during their Saturday night fight.

During the UFC 281 bout, Chandler appeared to get his fingers in Poirier's mouth, which is definitely not allowed.

Even though Poirier won the fight, he didn't seem too pleased.

"He stuck his fingers in my mouth to lift my neck to try to get me in a rear naked chokehold ... I was telling him, 'Come on, dude,'" Poirier explained to Joe Rogan about what he was trying to tell the ref following his massive win over Chandler.

However, Chandler gave a slightly different version of events. While he did admit to getting his fingers in Poirier's mouth, he said it was a pure accident and he was simply attempting to remove them.

The good news for Poirier is that he won the fight. If he'd lost after it definitely looked like Chandler used an illegal move, his feelings might have been a lot different.

To be clear, it definitely does appear that Chandler's fingers were in Poirier's mouth. Did he make a jerking motion? That appears to be up for debate.

What's not up for debate is that fingers entered Poirier's mouth.

Was it an accident? Did Chandler do it on purpose? It's hard to say, but it's also hard to imagine Chandler would so blatantly attempt to cheat. Crazy things happen in fights. It seems easier to believe it wasn't intentional.

Most importantly, Poirier went home with a win, and he'll be smiling about it for a long time.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.