What’s Next For Paddy Pimblett Following Destruction of Michael Chandler at UFC 314

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Well, what a difference a year makes. 12 months ago, UFC fans were gearing up for a potential blockbuster clash between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. However, the Irishman’s return to the Octagon never came to fruition, and his prospective American opponent was left on the shelf and waiting in the wings.

After waiting around for well over a year, former Bellator champion Chandler was handed a huge opportunity when he signed to co-main event UFC 314 against brash Englishman Paddy Pimblett. The Liverpool-based fighter has come in for plenty of criticism throughout his career for perceived favored match-making by UFC head honcho Dana White, but recent dominant victories against Tony Ferguson and King Green left him on the brink of a spot in the top ten at lightweight.

Online UFC betting sites duly made Paddy the Baddy a narrow favorite, primarily because he was eight years younger than his more experienced opponent. Websites offering UFC betting in Canada had Pimblett listed as the 1.66 frontrunner, with Chandler a live 2.20 underdog. But no one could have expected the demolition job that was to come.

Paddy the Baddy’s Coming Out Party

The guys over at Bodog thought that Pimblett was already in a very good position before even stepping into the Octagon to face Chandler. However, on fight night, it was clear that the Brit was a much more well-rounded fighter than his critics gave him credit for.

For the opening three rounds of a scheduled five, the Brit battered Chandler from pillar to post, leaving the 38-year-old a bloody mess. Both on the feet and on the ground, it was clear that the Baddy was the better fighter, and an onslaught in the third round prompted the referee to stop the fight.

With the vicious TKO victory against a well-respected opponent under his belt, Pimblett has now gatecrashed the top ten. He is within a whisker of a mouthwatering championship scrap against current lightweight king Islam Makhachev. However, chances are he’ll need one more victory to secure that title shot, and here are the fighters that could be against.

Ilia Topuria

Georgian-Spaniard Ilia Topuria is another looking to make a name for himself at 155 pounds. El Matador became arguably the biggest draw in the UFC throughout 2024 as he knocked out two of the all-time greats in the form of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, winning the featherweight title with the first before successfully defending it with the second.

Now, he has vacated his 145-pound title with a view on campaigning at lightweight, immediately setting his sights on a blockbuster clash against champion Islam Makhachev. However, the Dagestani has quelled talks on that front, indicating that the former featherlight king needs to beat a contender at 155 before getting a shot at the gold.

Enter Pimblett. Paddy the Baddy is now on the lookout for a true marquee opponent who will put him in a position as the undisputed number one contender. Topuria is looking for the same, and the pair have plenty of bad blood between them already.

At a press conference ahead of UFC London three years ago, the two lightweights shared plenty of barbs back and forth, making it abundantly clear that there is no love lost. A clash between the two in 2025 would certainly do big box office numbers and could well headline a card without having a title on the line. Whether it comes to fruition or not remains to be seen.

Charles Oliveira

Pimblett reeled off a plethora of top contenders in his interview with Joe Rogan following the victory against Chandler, but perhaps the most exciting of them would be a clash with Charles Oliveira. Do Bronx is a former lightweight champion and arguably the most dangerous submission artist in the game today. The brash Brit stated that he wished to test himself against the very best and prove that it is he who should be feared, not the Brazilian former champion.

A clash with Oliveira would certainly make sense. Do Bronx has become somewhat of a gatekeeper ever since dropping the gold a couple of years ago. A split decision defeat against Arman Tsarukyan last April secured the Armenian a title shot and a victory for Pimblett could well do the same.

Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier

There have been rumors circling recently that a trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje could be planned to take place later this year with the BMF title on the line. However, it is said that Gaethje isn’t interested in the prospective match, while Poirier is thought to want one final fight before hanging up the gloves. A fight against either of these two makes perfect sense for Paddy the Baddy.

The two Americans are currently ranked at number three and number five respectively in the lightweight rankings. Beating either of them would see Pimblett catapulted into the top three, while becoming known as the man who retired the Diamond Dustin Poirier would be an epic feather in his cap.