Athletes
Michael Chandler | Expect The Spectacular
Lightweight Michael Chandler Looks For Another Jaw-Dropping Finish When He Meets UFC Superstar Paddy Pimblett In UFC 314’s Co-Main Event
Ever since he burst onto the UFC scene with a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker in 2021, UFC lightweight Michael Chandler has done nothing but win over crowds with electrifying performances.
While his six-fight run in the UFC hasn’t gone entirely to plan - suffering four losses, including a heartbreaking defeat in a fight for the UFC lightweight title - he has lived up to his claim of being one of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division.
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Take Chandler’s fighting style and add a superstar opponent who carries overwhelming support behind him everywhere he goes, and you have a can't-miss co-main event in Miami that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
While this fight should deliver as much as any of Chandler’s previous UFC bouts, Pimblett presents an entirely new challenge he’s not accustomed to seeing in the Octagon. Chandler typically fights opponents ranked ahead of him, with the only exception being his bout against Tony Ferguson. But after back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira, Chandler now finds himself at another crossroads.
With his intention still to challenge for the lightweight title in the near future, a win over a young rising star is essential to maintaining his position in the rankings.
There have been two instances in Chandler’s UFC career where he’s had his back against the wall: his UFC debut, where he needed to make a strong first impression on the millions of fans watching worldwide, and his fight with Tony Ferguson after back-to-back losses to Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.
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What happened in those two fights? A first-round knockout and a head-kick KO that’ll forever live on as one of the best finishes in UFC history.
“When my back is up against a wall, something spectacular happens, so don’t blink on Saturday night,” Chandler said.
“Whether it’s a surgical and systematic breaking down of another human or it’s an absolute domination, quick, fast knockout, it’s going to be something spectacular. I think it’s going to prove that there’s levels to this game and continue to prove that just because we’re all in the UFC, it doesn’t mean we’re all on the same level.”
Michael Chandler & Paddy Pimblett Exchange Words | UFC 314
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Michael Chandler & Paddy Pimblett Exchange Words | UFC 314
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Fighting down in the rankings, Chandler feels the expectation is on him to get an easy victory. Having been in this position before, Chandler has learned to drown out the noise and treat this fight as if he were challenging for a world title.
“I have the unique perspective of fighting guys that I’m supposed to beat in a lot of ways.” Chandler said. “Before I came to the UFC, I was fighting guys that I was supposed to steamroll in a lot of fights; I was the huge favorite. Although that looks good on paper, there’s actually a lot more pressure to have to beat somebody because you’re supposed to beat them, compared to fighting a guy that’s ranked ahead of you.
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“This is one of those similar situations, but I’ve grown so much and matured so much, I just look at this like another fight. It’s not Paddy Pimblett. It’s two arms and two legs, a head, and it’s targets.”
Looking at the matchup without any of the noise surrounding his and Pimblett’s career trajectories, Chandler believes the skill gap will simply be too much for Pimblett’s confidence to overcome.
“I think my skill set is just too much,” Chandler said. “I think my pressure is too much, my cardio, my champion mentality I’ve had since I was 14 years old, I think it’s just too much. Not that he doesn’t have a bright future, not that he hasn’t earned it to a certain degree, but he hasn’t earned a win on Saturday night compared to me.
“He’s decent. He’s not ranked or has the strength of schedule of the guys that I have fought. Now he is in this position where either he sinks or swims. This is his opportunity to prove himself, and this is my opportunity to prove to myself and prove myself to the MMA fanbase, the UFC fans out there, that I’m one of the forces to be reckoned with at the top of the lightweight division.”
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Not only does Chandler feel that Pimblett won’t be able to overcome the physical disparities between them, but he also believes the pressure of the moment may be too much for him to handle. Despite being unbeaten inside the Octagon, Pimblett hasn’t faced anyone at the level of Chandler, let alone in a five-round slot on a massive pay-per-view card in Miami.
“It’s a different level of pressure, a different level of feeling,” Chandler said. “You’re going into the middle of Madison Square Garden against a first ballot Hall of Famer. You’re talking Poirier, Oliveira, Gaethje, these guys that are first ballot Hall of Famers and on the Mount Rushmore of the lightweight division, of UFC lightweight history. So, whenever he has an opportunity to step into the Octagon with a guy like me who’s fought all of those guys, fought for a world title, was very close to becoming the world champion, it’s a different type of pressure, a different type of speed and it’s a different atmosphere. Is he ready for it? That answer we’ll find out on Saturday night.”
UFC 314: Volkanovski vs Lopes took place live from Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on April 12, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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