Michael Chandler promises to ignore “Paddy Pimbett:” It’s going to be different from Jordan Leavitt “

Michael Chandler is ready to catch up with lost time.

After waiting patiently throughout the saga of Conor McGregor – perhaps Also Patiently – Chandler returned to action against Charles Oliveira in November at UFC 309, against “Do Bronx” for the second time and losing a unanimous decision. It was Chandler’s first fight in two years after McGregor René René on their planned fight, and he wasted no time going back to work. He will face Rising Lightweight Star Paddy Pimbelett in the Co-Princhipal event of the UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami.

“It’s a big fight,” said Chandler on “The Ariel Helwani Show”, revealing that the five -round case was reserved two weeks ago despite its announcement last Wednesday. “No matter what direction you look at him, guy, it’s a big fight, and it is the life cycle of a fighter.

“I’m going to pour my hat to Dustin Poirier – he fought Benoit Saint Denis when few people knew him, right? Justin Gaethje fought Rafael Fiziev. I often see it on social media websites, everyone is like “Dude, you are fighting everyone in the first three, the first two, the first five. Well, there you go boys and girls.

Chandler instantly serves the most difficult test of the Pimbett fighting career – and he doesn’t think it is even questionable.

Pimbelett enters the fight again of his two most notable victories, a unanimous decision on Tony Ferguson and a submission of guillotine in the first round of King Green. The last victory of Pimbett extended his sequence of victories in UFC to six and earned him a place in n ° 12 in the official classification of light weights of the promotion. According to his performance, a victory over n ° 7 Chandler could launch him as high as the top five.

But Chandler is convinced that these are the types of matches in which he thrives.

“You can talk about my file, you can talk about losses, you can talk about how everything has gone, my race in the UFC so far, but I have done nothing to fight the first bulletin of Voting, former champions “, Chandler says. “Each defeat I have been with one of these guys. And when I don’t fight one of those guys – Knock Out, Dan Hooker, in two and a half minutes. This brutal Ko of Tony Ferguson, who was Ko of the year.

Pimbett, 30, entered the UFC in many fanfares after winning two titles in the promotion of the United Kingdom Cage Warriors. Between his frank nature and his irrepressible self -confidence, Pimbett quickly became an easy target among his peers of the UFC.

Chandler, 38, thinks that Pimbett will benefit from the steep jump of competition for the UFC 314, whatever the result.

“I think he has had a lot of industrial criticism because when you are a great personality, you speak in a certain way, you speak a little of waste,” said Chandler. “Obviously, he had entries with Ilia Topuria and some of these other guys where he obtained these little animosities. Too much,” or they will say: “Hey, I love Paddy Pimbett.”

“You see him with a lot of guys – Bo Nickal is an excellent example right now. Guys, when they enter the UFC and they fight the most difficult competition, and they fight these big fights on these major steps In these Big Arenas, there is a certain learning curve they need. September 2020.

“Paddy is good, he grew up,” continued Chandler. “I think the pressure I am going to put him, he will obviously keep this risk (style), throw a lot of kicks, throw wild punches, trying to keep things interesting in there, because he knows when One of these hands land, it will be different from Jordan Leavitt.

The UFC 314 already seems to be one of the most busy cards of the year, at least on paper. In a surprising touch of fate, Chandler will be joined by a former rival on the map, while the former Bellator Patricio Pitbull champion makes his UFC debut in a featherweight inclination in front of Yair Rodriguez.

Pitbull, 37, enters the UFC in the same way as Chandler. Both did everything they could do in Bellator and won like two of the best of all time in promotion – Pitbull at Piletweight and Chandler at Lightweight. Although their UFC paths differ – Pitbull asked for his release from PFL while Chandler explored the free agency – Chandler expects his ex -Foe to have similar experience and achievement.

“(I am not surprised by him (sign with the UFC) or the list of laundry of all those who tweet in Donnis and PFL (asking for their release),” said Chandler about Pitbull.

“This continues to solidify that the UFC is the only place for mixed martial arts. Take it from me. Take a guy like Patricio Pitbull. In two years, in a year, sit in your program And make it answer honestly what is the difference and how bigger it is, how important it is here. mixed martials with regard to the meaning of the UFC.

“I love the UFC because I know what is the opposite of the UFC. I know what it is to be outside the UFC. I know what it is to go to UFC events and make people ask me to take pictures of Ryan Bader and Gray Maynard and Michael Johnson and Robbie Lawler, then asks me who I am, and I say to myself: “Well, I come beat Eddie Alvarez a few months ago. “And they say to themselves:” Oh, you’re this guy from Bellator. “

“I know what it is, right?” He continued. “So I bit my tongue, I swallowed my pride. I continued to work, I kept my nose in the wheel. I waited patiently, while waiting for my time. -Form, build my skills set, build my mind, my body and my soul and mind until it is the right time.

For the moment, Chandler and Pitbull have cases to be feared in their respective UFC divisions. And given his recent race, Chandler is extremely motivated to ensure his first victory since 2022.

“I don’t need to hate Paddy Pimbett to want to separate him from consciousness,” said Chandler. “I don’t need to have a kind of animosity to absolutely avoid this man. This is what I have been doing since the age of 14. And I prefer a fight like that.”