“The Paddy train stops in Miami, and he’s going to have to go back to the drawing board,”, Michael Chandler is sure that he can stop the Scouser’s hype train at UFC 314. Fresh off of his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, and on a two-fight losing skid, ‘The Baddy’ is one of those few fights left for ‘Iron’ Mike in the twilight of his career. It’s interesting how roles get switched and reversed in the UFC. At one point Chandler was the newcomer, and people like Dustin Poirier criticized his “Dana White privilege”. Now ‘Iron’ Mike is the veteran welcoming Pimblett, allowing the Scouser to enter the lightweight top 10. And in a rare show of solidarity, his rival Dustin Poirier showed his support for Chandler against the Liverpudlian.
With the fight’s official announcement, Paddy Pimblett faces arguably his toughest challenge yet. Michael Chandler isn’t a flashy striker like King Green. He has serious grappling credentials, dangerous power in his hands, and a never-say-die attitude. Despite not being on good terms, Poirier picked Chandler in that bout, perhaps as a result of having shared the Octagon with him. When one of the fans asked the former interim lightweight champion about his choice, he said the following, “Even though he’s a b—-, Chandler all day go heavy on the money.”
In another X post, a fan asked if Pimblett would win the fight via submission, alluding to Chandler struggling in high-stakes bouts. ‘The Diamond’ responded with a resolute “Nope”, reiterating his rare support to the man who fish-hooked him inside the Octagon. And credit to Chandler, he’s fought and lost only to the best in the division.
Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler were locked in a high-octane battle at UFC 281. Although ‘The Diamond’ submitted ‘Iron’ Mike via rear-naked choke in the third round, Chandler made sure that he made Poirier earn that submission. Despite his series of losses, Chandler’s relentless pressure and raw power could be a crucial factor in securing a victory against Paddy Pimblett.
For Paddy Pimblett, this fight is about climbing up the ranks. For Michael Chandler, it’s about keeping his spot on the rankings intact and winning to fight another day. But it seems like the former Bellator lightweight champion is unfazed, as he issued a warning to his UFC 314 opponent.
Michael Chandler plans to decimate Paddy Pimblett in Miami
Chaos is set to unfold at the Miami shores as Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett will come face to face against each other. With an undefeated promotional record, Pimblett will be gearing up for the biggest fight of his career. Question is—will be able to pass through against ‘Iron’? Perhaps not, at least from Chandler’s perspective.
While having a conversation with ‘Brett Okamoto’ of ESPN, Chandler emphasized that he would be using his immense pressure against the British fighter, “I believe I’m going to put pressure on him. I believe he will know right away within the first exchange that he’s not stepping into the octagon with Bobby Green [or] with Tony Ferguson… With some of these guys that he has fought. It’s just a different level. I still believe, where I’m at, it’s a bad matchup stylistically for him.”
He further added, “The first time he gets hit by one of the toughest punchers in the UFC lightweight division which he has not faced yet, it’s going to be a different feeling, it’s going to be a different speed, it’s going to be a different ferocity that he hasn’t felt before.” Indeed this fight is going to be fireworks. Despite being matched up, both fighters have been amicable towards each other. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t fiercely competitive about winning this one. Who do you think takes the victory? Let us know in the comments down below.
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