Michael Chandler has finally broken his silence on his defeat to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314.
The American was stopped in Round 3 of his lightweight battle with ‘Paddy The Baddy’, and has now opened up on what went wrong in the fight and what his plans for the future are.
Michael Chandler Breaks Silence On Paddy Pimblett Defeat
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has finally broken his silence on his recent defeat to Paddy Pimblett.
Chandler was beaten by Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 314 on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, which was the Americans third straight defeat in the UFC.
Not only was Chandler beaten by Pimblett, but he was stopped. ‘Paddy The paddy’ secured the TKO victory with elbows and punches following a huge knee landing flush on Chandler’s head.
Now, ‘Iron’ has finally broken his silence about the heart breaking Pimblett defeat. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the 39-year-old revealed that he felt he couldn’t get a proper swagger going inside the octagon.
For Pimblett, who could face Arman Tsarukyan in a summer showdown, he moves closer to a UFC Lightweight Title shot. Next year could be the year that ‘The Baddy’ gets his hands on UFC gold for the very first time.
Michael Chandler Lost Via Round 3 TKO To Paddy Pimblett At UFC 314
Chandler hasn’t made any excuses for the defeat, instead heaping praise on Pimblett for his well executed game plan and punch-perfect performance on the night.
“I feel like I couldn’t get my rhythm. I couldn’t get my range. Paddy fights long, he fights with his chin way up in the air, and he’s pretty far away from you. Throws a lot of kicks to keep the distance, and I felt like I was just kind of getting settled in and obviously, took the knee to the face, and then got taken down, and that was the end of it.
“It’s one of those deals where you learn. Hat’s off to Paddy, he had a great gameplan, went out there and got the win,” admitted the former UFC Lightweight Title challenger.
Although he was soundly beaten by Pimblett, Chandler has made no excuses for his defeat, despite going into it with a lingering knee problem:
“I’d rather just go than sit around and wait, you know? Maybe that was the wrong decision, but I was moving around well in the training camp. The decision to take the fight pretty early was my decision and my decision alone,” concluded Chandler.
What Next For Michael Chandler After Paddy Pimblett Defeat?
Michael Chandler’s recent defeat to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 marked his third consecutive loss in the UFC.
The American now boasts a professional MMA record of 23-10. He has fought seven times in the UFC now, losing five of the bouts and winning just two.
That being said, he is still a huge name in MMA circles and a fan favorite amongst. Not only that, but he is always in entertaining fights, hence why UFC President Dana White affords ‘Iron’ plenty of opportunities.
The question on everyone’s lips now is what Chandler will do next. The former Bellator champion has revealed he does want to fight on, but will take the summer off before getting back in the gym ahead of his next contest.
Chandler has been chasing the Conor McGregor fight for almost two years now, and that remains a viable option should the Irishman return to the UFC. That being said, it doesn’t look like McGregor will fight again anytime soon.
In the meantime, Chandler still wants to compete in the UFC. Who Michael Chandler’s next fight will be against remains to be seen, but rest assured it will be another thoroughly entertaining bout.
“I’m definitely going to take a little bit of time off. I’m going to take the summer off. I’ve already spoken to the UFC that, ‘Hey, don’t call me for any summer shows.’ I will show up, I will be a fan, I will do some appearances.
“I will be a part of the UFC brand, but I need to take a little bit of time off and heal my body up. Then we’ll see what’s next. There’s obviously a ton of different names out there, ton of possibilities, and we’ll see,” Chandler concluded.
