UFC star Paddy Pimblett had some words of encouragement for Michael Chandler after UFC 314.
Paddy Pimblett earned the biggest win of his MMA career at UFC 314 over fellow UFC fan favorite Michael Chandler earlier this month. Pimblett left Chandler’s face a bloody mess in a dominant performance and cemented himself as a dark horse in the lightweight title mix.
Pimblett and Chandler didn’t have a hostile buildup to their UFC 314 fight, with both sides acknowledging the sheer talent of the other. But both lightweights are extremely competitive, and knew what was on the line in their co-main event slot.
Despite being one of the biggest stars in the UFC, Chandler is winless over his last three fights, and his combat sports future is becoming increasingly uncertain.
Paddy Pimblett sends Michael Chandler encouragement after third straight defeat
Pimblett’s rise to UFC stardom is due to his elite in-cage skillset, to go with a colorful personality outside of it. But despite his at-times brash persona, Pimblett understands the imprint Chandler has left on Mixed Martial Arts, and addressed as much in a recent social media message.
In a recent Instagram post, Pimblett sent a classy post-fight message to Chandler.
“It was an absolute pleasure to share the cage with such a legend of the sport in [Michael Chandler],” Pimblett wrote.
“Nothing but respect for him before the fight and even more after we fought.”
Chandler addressed retirement calls days after UFC 314, and while he was non-committal about a UFC return timeline, he hinted at his desire to bounce back later on in 2025. After ending his long wait for Conor McGregor last November, Chandler lost to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 after a long hiatus dating back to UFC 281.
Paddy Pimblett teases Hollywood career as he continues to poke Conor McGregor
As Pimblett’s stock continues to rise, so do the opportunities he’ll be presented with outside of the Octagon. After teasing a potential future in film, Pimblett teased McGregor after calling him out in post-fight media availability at UFC 314.
While McGregor hasn’t responded to Pimblett’s recent comments, he gave Pimblett credit for his performance at UFC 314. But McGregor suffered a big loss financially, falling short of a $500,000 wager on Chandler to defeat Pimblett.
McGregor has teased retirement from MMA after a four-plus-year absence from the Octagon. He hasn’t fought in the UFC since injuring his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
McGregor was in line to return to the cage last summer against Chandler at UFC 303 before withdrawing due to injury. As he prepares to run for the Irish presidency, McGregor’s combat sports future remains cloudy.
