Michael Chandler has his back against the wall heading into UFC 314. This is a do-or-die situation for the former Bellator champion and quite possibly his last shot at glory. At 38 years of age and considering the miles on the Missouri native, a loss could push him out of the lightweight elite for good. Although his outings have been explosive and outrageous at times, his efforts have not translated well into the W column with a record of 2-4 in the UFC. And now, he’s up against a surging force in Paddy Pimblett. The Liverpool native is more than just charisma and flair—he’s currently on a 6-fight winning streak in the UFC and has proven himself to be a real threat at 155 pounds.

To Chandler’s credit, he’s faced elite competition from day one like Charles Oliveira, Dan Hooker, and Justin Gaethje but the lack of consistent wins has hurt his standing. As the MMA world debates who will come out on top in Miami, former interim champion Dustin Poirier has backed his old rival Chandler—but with a condition. For the unversed, Chandler is currently a +125 underdog against Pimbett who is going into the clash as a -150 favorite. This fact was reminded by Jon Anik who joined ESPN MMA’s UFC 314 predictions segment with Chael Sonnen, Anthony Smith, and Poirier.

The Louisiana native said, “I will go with the underdog. I think Chandler has championship high-level experience as well. But his explosion, his explosiveness, his Octagon, well, he doesn’t usually use his smarts too well in there. But I think this time he’s at a crossroads. It’s a must-win fight and he has to win this.”

Poirier was immediately supported by Sonnen who said, “I like ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. Listen, I think this might be a little bit sloppy but I think it’s gonna be contested on their feet. I think Chandler’s going to find an uppercut. I am actually predicting Chandler to knock Paddy out.”

Surprisingly, it’s refreshing to see Poirier supporting his rival. Their feud began after Chandler’s loss to ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 281, a match that led Poirier to heavily criticize Chandler and even accuse him of cheating. According to Poirier on the Outta Pocket podcast, Chandler tried to fishhook him and throw rabbit punches.

However, things seem to be slowly changing. Chandler recently admitted that they might even end up becoming friends. “We are friends, he just hasn’t admitted it yet,” Chandler jested during a discussion with Helen Yee. “It’s really funny, there could be a documentary on how it started, how it’s going, and how it ends between me and Poirier.” In fact, Poirier has also changed his tune on the cheating allegations, suggesting a shift in tone that few saw coming.

Dustin Poirier changes perspective on Michael Chandler ahead of UFC 314

The former three-time Bellator champion and current UFC lightweight contender has a reputation for being one of the most entertaining and explosive fighters in the game. Remember when he back-slammed Charles Oliveira twice at UFC 309 while grinning at the UFC brass sitting cage side? That moment said it all—he’s a showman, and he knows it.

However, not everyone is a fan of his style. Both Oliveira and his previous rival, Dustin Poirier, have accused him of being a cheater. While speaking on the Off Guard podcast, Poirier didn’t hold back: “Fake, man. And he’s a cheater!… He does all sorts of stuff, man.” Even his UFC 314 opponent, Paddy Pimblett, jumped in on media day, making it clear he wasn’t going to take any chances. Pimblett said he would warn the referee before the fight about Chandler’s tactics.

But in a more recent appearance on ESPN MMA, when Chael Sonnen asked Poirier directly whether Chandler is a cheater, the response was surprisingly nuanced. “Dude, seriously. He’s a competitor, I think.” Poirier did admit that Chandler used the fishhook on him during their fight, but he emphasized that Chandler’s actions didn’t seem to come from a place of hatred. “I don’t know if it’s premeditated, but he’s out there to win.”

What do you think of Poirier’s take? Will Chandler get it done at UFC 314, or is Pimblett ready to shock the world? Drop your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!