“I mean, he’s always in the fight. Tonight was a big night for Paddy Pimblett. Like we were just talking about, people doubt Paddy every time he steps in there. But he’s still undefeated in the UFC. Chandler, though—he’s like our Arturo Gatti. Every time that guy fights, you know it’s going to be a war. You don’t know if he’ll win or lose, but you know it’ll be a show.” Dana White shared his immediate thoughts right after UFC 314’s co-main event. For the unversed, Paddy Pimblett took a huge step forward, emerging as a true rising contender after viciously battering Michael Chandler.
While, the Englishman turned his attention to the top brass at 155lbs which includes Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan, the future is looking grim for the Missouri native who dropped his third consecutive UFC bout. Moreover, Chandler is now 2-5 in the promotion and will also turn 39 later this month. Not an ideal scenario for the former Bellator champion! Israel Adesanya even met the Englishman backstage and assured him that he would never count Pimblett out from now. And it seems that Izzy’s rival turned friend and former 185lbs champ, Robert Whittaker also has something to say regarding the UFC 314 co-main event.
Interestingly, Whittaker had already predicted a win for the Englishman but expected it to be a close fight. And not the dominant showcase we witnessed. Bobby Knuckles took to his MMA Arcade podcast and said, “Mate, he had such control over Chandler. And Chandler is an explosive strong dude. Paddy was all over him. And you know what’s funny? Chandler’s like known for being sort of strong-built nugget. Paddy looked huge! Dude, Chandler got manhandled. He impressed the heck out of me and I’m pumped to see.
He added, “Cause you saw the end of the fight, he didn’t look like he had taken damage. Everything he was doing to Chandler, was hurting him. The calf kicks, and those leg kicks were hurting him, and the reactions and reads he was getting out of there were crazy! Every time Paddy would hit Chandler, Chandler would be backing up. It was so surprising to see.”
April 12, 2025, Miami, Fl, Miami, Fl, United States: Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes at Kesaya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, FL /PxImages Miami, Fl United States – ZUMAp175 20250412_zsa_p175_412 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
It’s no surprise that ‘The Reaper’ was caught off guard. Most people who picked Chandler to win did so banking on his explosive power and his ability to create openings in the chaos. But what no one saw coming was how quickly Pimblett figured him out. From the opening bell, Paddy never stopped moving forward. And it wasn’t just his grappling, his striking looked sharper than ever. He left Chandler with almost no room to breathe, let alone fight back.
Chandler’s now 0-3 in his last three fights and this latest loss to a lower-ranked contender puts him in a tough spot. His previous defeats came against top-tier lightweights, so there was still some breathing room. But falling to a rising prospect like Pimblett? That’s a serious blow to his career momentum. Is a retirement announcement on the horizon? Maybe not just yet, but a former two-division champion thinks it might be time for Chandler to start seriously considering it.
Henry Cejudo advises Michael Chandler to retire after UFC 314 debacle
Losing always stings, but getting smeared with blood in a one-sided beating makes it hurt even more. Michael Chandler’s three-fight losing streak is definitely a red flag, but the situation looks even worse when you factor in his age. At 38 years old, losing what many saw as a make-or-break fight has only made things worse. Retirement talks have already started swirling, and among the loudest voices is former two-division champion Henry Cejudo, whose comments are just echoing amongst them, because he’s also on a similar route.
‘Triple C’ spoke to MMA Junkie and said, “I’m 0-3. So I get it. He probably has to get one more and just consider retirement. That’s a lot of beatings, man. I think Chandler could have been the best in the world. There’s only a certain time before the UFC just says, ‘Hey man, thank you for pleasing us, but we gotta we gotta move on’. I feel like Chandler, they’re probably gonna at this point, maybe the UFC might give him a younger guy, and that’s typically what happens in this game.”
What do you think of Robert Whittaker’s take on the Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Chandler fight? Please comment below.
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