Paddy Pimblett’s fall from grace needs to be studied. The verbose Liverpudlian became a star almost as soon as he entered the UFC back in 2021 because of his charismatic personality, distinctive blonde bob cut, and the fact that he finished his first three UFC opponents within two rounds, winning three Performance of the Night bonuses for them. Clearly, the type of fighter Dana White and the fans dream about. It is safe to say that Pimblett’s hype in the UFC fanbase during his early UFC days was palpable. But then came the Englishman’s fateful UFC 282 clash against Jared Gordon.
After what most consider a pretty close fight, the Englishman was awarded a unanimous decision by the judges, which surprised everyone. Including Joe Rogan, who began his Octagon interview with Pimblett by observing: “Paddy, that was a close one”. But the Liverpool native was defiant. He took the mic from Rogan before he could complete his sentence and insisted that “no it wasn’t”. As you can expect, it did not go down well with fans at all. To the point that he lost most of the goodwill he had earned from fans.
After this, he went from being beloved among fans to being termed over-hyped and disliked by them. This is why many feel that the Scouser would be ‘fraud checked’ by Michael Chandler in their UFC 314 co-main event clash on April 12. But former UFC double champ, Henry Cejudo, doubts that. In fact, he is very bullish on Pimblett’s chances against the Missouri native.
“You know you know what, Kamarudeen, dude, I’m smelling an upset, bro. I think with Paddy Pimblett, dude I think he’s going to bring in the grappling. And I think he might pull guard on this dude, and I don’t think his hands are not bad either, bro. I think he could also force Michael Chandler to do something on the bottom,” Cejudo told his ‘Pound 4 Pound’ podcast co-host Kamaru Usman.
“If he cannot take Michael Chandler down, he’s more likely going to have to do that [pull guard]. But I just feel like Paddy Pimblett, he’s a lot better than what I thought. And what he was able to do to Bobby Green, his transitional stuff. Obviously, him being on a… eight-fight win streak, I mean you know what I’m saying. Like, dude we got to put some respect on that dude’s name, and he’s only gotten better bro…He could win over Michael Chandler.” ‘Triple C’ added.
Paddy Ôthe baddyÕ Pimblett with post-event media during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Etihad Campus, SportCity, Manchester, England on the 27 July 2024. Copyright: xAndyxRowlandx PMI-6350-0003
Indeed, Pimblett has already said that he plans on using his sharp grappling in the Chandler fight. After all, ‘Iron’ is a better striker than Pimblett. The #7 ranked lightweight’s heavy hands, remarkable chin and durability, and bar-brawling fighting style would be a huge challenge for the blonde-haired up-and-comer. But Pimblett has a plan.
Paddy Pimblett’s plan to deal with Michael Chandler at UFC 314
Michael Chandler is the same guy who almost knocked out Charles Oliveira twice in two fights. Moreover, he has had absolute barnburners with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. While he didn’t manage to win his fights against any of the three guys, it is important to remember that Chandler has clarified his goal in the UFC. And that is to have exciting, action-packed fights, regardless of the results.
While that has certainly cost him some fights, the fact that he competed with the best lightweights in the world says something about how good of a fighter he is. This is why many expect him to beat the #12 Englishman without much trouble. But Pimblett is prepared. He thinks that the aforementioned lightweight legends all made a mistake in how they fought Chandler. And that is a mistake the Liverpoolian is determined not to repeat.
“Other people, who he’s fought… And he’s fought first-ballot Hall of Famers, you know what I mean? He’s fought Poirier, he’s fought Gaethje, he’s fought Charles. All like the best lightweight in the division for the past five years. But I think I’m going to make it look easier than they did, you know what I mean. They play into Mike’s style, they stand there and brawl with him,” Pimblett said in a joint ESPN MMA interview with Chandler.
Does that mean Pimblett will win? No, but deciding to keep the fight on the ground as much as possible certainly gives him a better chance of winning. What do you think about Henry Cejudo’s take on the Chandler-Pimblett UFC 314 clash?
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