MMA coach draws parallel between Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett and Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
UFC lightweight fighters Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett are set to face each other in the co-main event of UFC 314. The top MMA coach Javier Mendez has highlighted similarities between the Chandler-Pimblett and Dustin Poirier-Islam Makhachev contests.
At UFC 302, 'The Diamond' delivered one of his best performances in his pursuit of the UFC lightweight championship. Unfortunately, Poirier fell short and was submitted by Makhachev in the final round of their fight.
Similarly, Mendez believes that Pimblett will emerge victorious against Chandler. In a recent video on Javier & Mo show, the Team AKA coach previewed the upcoming co-main event at UFC 314. He said:
"I'm going to say, might favor Paddy [Pimblett] a little bit because he's on a roll you know and Michael [Chandler] has to, you know, do or die, you know, like what Dustin [Poirier] did with Islam [Makhachev], you know. He gave it his best and man that was a hell of a fight... So that could be the same scenario here too. So you could see the best Michael we've ever seen."
Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (27:14):
After his UFC debut in 2021, 'Iron' has experienced both ups and downs in the promotion. Since his victory over Tony Ferguson in 2022, Chandler has faced two losses against Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira.
Michael Chandler issues violent prediction ahead of his fight against Paddy Pimblett
In contrast to Michael Chandler's UFC record of 1-4 up to this point, Paddy Pimblett boasts an impressive track record in the promotion. The Scouser is currently on a six-fight winning streak in the UFC.
Interestingly, 'Iron' believes that 'The Baddy' hasn't faced any formidable opponents like him in the UFC. In an Instagram post, Chandler shared his prediction for their upcoming clash and expressed his intention to make Pimblett suffer. He said:
"I don't think he's ever been hit by anybody even in the same stratosphere as me. I am going to put a pace on Paddy and pressure on Paddy like he has never felt before... He's gonna be on his backfoot, his back is going to be close to the cage and I am gonna land a right hand or a left hook and put his lights out within the first couple of rounds."
Check out Michael Chandler's post below: