Paddy Pimblett stops Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in dominating performance to boost title dreams
Paddy Pimblett bolstered his world title ambitions with a spectacular performance at UFC 314. Pimblett dominated Chandler from start to finish and the referee was forced to stop the contest following brutal ground-and-pound from the Liverpudlian in round three. Pimblett has won nine MMA bouts in a row and is undefeated in seven UFC fightsGetty He made light work of Chandler, busting the American open in the third roundGetty Pimblett is now undefeated in seven straight UFC bouts and arguably just one fight away from a world title shot as he left Chandler bloodied and beaten. He was the No.12 ranked lightweight before UFC 314, but victory means he will surge above Chandler and steal his seventh spot. “Literally everything I have worked with my team, all the fight run-throughs we’ve done, has just happened here,” Pimblett told Joe Rogan after his win. “This is how we win: we gameplan, we use our fight IQ, and we beat m*****f*****s up. [I want] anyone in the top four, top five. I want that world title. ‘The Baddy’, who said his UFC 314 bout would be his toughest yet, then named the likes of Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier as all potential future opponents after his win. “Charles is the biggest legend out of them all, and he gets called the best submitting artist the UFC’s ever seen. Well, I dispute that, I’m here,” he added. All three of those lightweights have a victory over Chandler, who has now lost three UFC fights on the bounce, and has just one win in his last six bouts. They also sit at the top lightweight rankings, with Dan Hooker, Max Holloway, Arman Tsarukyan and champion Islam Makhachev making up the rest. Pimblett and Tsarukyan exchanged verbal blows online ahead of UFC 314 and the Armenian could also be a suitable future opponent. Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors champion, made his UFC debut in September 2021, knocking out Luigi Vendramini in the first round. Pimblett looked so impressive at UFC 314TNT Sports View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC314?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw He then picked up back-to-back submission victories over Kazula Vargas and Jordan Leavitt in 2022, before going the distance and picking up wins over Jared Gordon and UFC legend Tony Ferguson. The Merseyside-born stat then picked up a statement submission victory over King Green in Manchester last July, which was his last fight before UFC 314. A win against Oliveira, Poirier or Gaethje would earn Pimblett a title shot. The 30-year-old could even find himself in that position if one of the above names found themselves injured or had to withdraw from a bout. Pimblett looked huge compared to Chandler when the pair emerged for round one and the former looked to swipe the American to the canvas with powerful leg kicks. Chandler stepped in swinging like his usual self as the Miami crowd chanted ‘USA, USA’ when he dragged to the floor, before being put on notice by the Liverpuflian with some nasty elbows. Pimblett will now likely fight a top five ranked lightweight nextGetty Chandler was left bloodied and beaten at UFC 314Getty ‘Iron’ landed his own big shots in the exchange, until Pimblett jumped for a triangle choke and it was broken up with 90 seconds left on the clock. The American continued to show his with a thunderous jab, but Pimblett was 16-2 up on the significant strikes and went on the attack when the first bell sounded. It was clear Pimblett had made a massive improvement in his striking as round two began and the Liverpool man landed a few beautiful combinations. However, his momentum was brought to an abrupt halt when Chandler caught him with a low blow and replays of the show would’ve had UFC fans squirming. Chandler then took Pimblett down, but the latter got straight back up, before ‘Iron’ briefly took his opponent’s back, and when ‘The Baddy’ escaped the crowd went nuts. Just before the second round bell went Pimblett nearly had Chandler with an arm triangle and rear naked choke, but the Nashville native managed to survive. Pimblett landed a knee that busted Chandler wide openGetty The 30-year-old never stopped improving en route to victoryGetty Chandler didn’t survive for long however, as Pimblett just kept on improving as the rounds went on. At the beginning of round three, Pimblet smelt blood and Chandler couldn’t stop leaking crimson red once the Merseyside-star cracked him with a perfectly timed knee. Chandler looked bloodied and battered as Pimblett’s strikes eventually sent him crashing to the floor. Pimblett then mounted Chandler and the referee called a stop to the contest as the Liverpudlian embarked on a savage ground-and-pound that looked absolutely brutal.
Paddy Pimblett bolstered his world title ambitions with a spectacular performance at UFC 314.
Pimblett dominated Chandler from start to finish and the referee was forced to stop the contest following brutal ground-and-pound from the Liverpudlian in round three.
Pimblett is now undefeated in seven straight UFC bouts and arguably just one fight away from a world title shot as he left Chandler bloodied and beaten.
He was the No.12 ranked lightweight before UFC 314, but victory means he will surge above Chandler and steal his seventh spot.
“Literally everything I have worked with my team, all the fight run-throughs we’ve done, has just happened here,” Pimblett told Joe Rogan after his win.
“This is how we win: we gameplan, we use our fight IQ, and we beat m*****f*****s up. [I want] anyone in the top four, top five. I want that world title.
‘The Baddy’, who said his UFC 314 bout would be his toughest yet, then named the likes of Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier as all potential future opponents after his win.
“Charles is the biggest legend out of them all, and he gets called the best submitting artist the UFC’s ever seen. Well, I dispute that, I’m here,” he added.
All three of those lightweights have a victory over Chandler, who has now lost three UFC fights on the bounce, and has just one win in his last six bouts.
They also sit at the top lightweight rankings, with Dan Hooker, Max Holloway, Arman Tsarukyan and champion Islam Makhachev making up the rest.
Pimblett and Tsarukyan exchanged verbal blows online ahead of UFC 314 and the Armenian could also be a suitable future opponent.
Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors champion, made his UFC debut in September 2021, knocking out Luigi Vendramini in the first round.
He then picked up back-to-back submission victories over Kazula Vargas and Jordan Leavitt in 2022, before going the distance and picking up wins over Jared Gordon and UFC legend Tony Ferguson.
The Merseyside-born stat then picked up a statement submission victory over King Green in Manchester last July, which was his last fight before UFC 314.
A win against Oliveira, Poirier or Gaethje would earn Pimblett a title shot.
The 30-year-old could even find himself in that position if one of the above names found themselves injured or had to withdraw from a bout.
Pimblett looked huge compared to Chandler when the pair emerged for round one and the former looked to swipe the American to the canvas with powerful leg kicks.
Chandler stepped in swinging like his usual self as the Miami crowd chanted ‘USA, USA’ when he dragged to the floor, before being put on notice by the Liverpuflian with some nasty elbows.
‘Iron’ landed his own big shots in the exchange, until Pimblett jumped for a triangle choke and it was broken up with 90 seconds left on the clock.
The American continued to show his with a thunderous jab, but Pimblett was 16-2 up on the significant strikes and went on the attack when the first bell sounded.
It was clear Pimblett had made a massive improvement in his striking as round two began and the Liverpool man landed a few beautiful combinations.
However, his momentum was brought to an abrupt halt when Chandler caught him with a low blow and replays of the show would’ve had UFC fans squirming.
Chandler then took Pimblett down, but the latter got straight back up, before ‘Iron’ briefly took his opponent’s back, and when ‘The Baddy’ escaped the crowd went nuts.
Just before the second round bell went Pimblett nearly had Chandler with an arm triangle and rear naked choke, but the Nashville native managed to survive.
Chandler didn’t survive for long however, as Pimblett just kept on improving as the rounds went on.
At the beginning of round three, Pimblet smelt blood and Chandler couldn’t stop leaking crimson red once the Merseyside-star cracked him with a perfectly timed knee.
Chandler looked bloodied and battered as Pimblett’s strikes eventually sent him crashing to the floor.
Pimblett then mounted Chandler and the referee called a stop to the contest as the Liverpudlian embarked on a savage ground-and-pound that looked absolutely brutal.
