Whether he wins or loses, Michael Chandler never fails to bring the heat. A former three-time Bellator champion, he arrived in the UFC at the age of 34 and made an immediate impact. In his promotional debut at UFC 257, the American delivered a thunderous knockout win over Dan Hooker that catapulted him straight into the top 5 of the UFC’s lightweight rankings. But the road after that explosive start hasn’t been smooth. Since his 2021 debut, ‘Iron’ has gone 2-4 in the Octagon, with losses to top-tier talents like Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira (twice) and Justin Gaethje.

What made matters worse was his prolonged absence from the sport. For nearly two years, Chandler sat on the sidelines, waiting for a high-stakes payday—a ‘red panty night’—against Conor McGregor. Moreover, the duo even did an entire season of TUF that was meant to culminate in a battle after the season was finished airing. But the Irishman once again delayed the matchup as he was filming ‘Roadhouse’ alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. At the same time, the former double champ even flirted with the idea of facing someone entirely new, leaving Chandler in limbo. The bout was finally made official for UFC 303, a whole year after TUF 31!

The dream was finally coming true. But wait! A “pinky” toe injury led McGregor to pull out from the bout and shattering any hope the Missouri native had for a big payday. Chandler finally decided to end his ‘sabbatical’ and fought Oliveira at UFC 309 which ended in infamy. That wait not only stalled his momentum but arguably derailed the peak of his UFC run. Moreover, for the first time in his UFC career, he’s now facing an opponent outside the top 10: #12-ranked Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314. While the Englishman may be younger and less proven on paper, he’s riding an impressive wave—undefeated in his six UFC appearances. Chandler knows the threat, but he also knows what’s on the line. A win here could re-ignite his career. A loss, however, could spell serious trouble!

That’s exactly why UFC veteran Daniel Cormier believes the pressure is squarely on ‘Iron’s shoulders. Speaking on his Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Cormier didn’t sugarcoat the situation: “I believe Chandler has more pressure.” Cormier highlighted the brutal reality of Michael Chandler’s 2-4 UFC record and the fact that he turns 39 this 24th April. “Michael Chandler has found himself in very, very hard-to-reach company. He’s that guy that, win or lose, nothing really affects him. Right?” Cormier noted, pointing out how Chandler’s exciting style has often overshadowed his actual results. Breaking down the ex-Bellator star’s UFC run, Cormier explained to co-host Chael Sonnen:

“What I’m getting at, Chael, is Michael Chandler has fought in the UFC six times—he’s won twice. Him and Dustin Poirier—he loses, ‘Oh, that was a great fight, but Dustin got the job done. Submitted him.’ He fought Justin Gaethje—that was a tremendous fight, but Gaethje won. Charles Oliveira—he stood up with him and slammed him backward. What I’m getting at, Chael, is Michael Chandler has fought in the UFC six times—he’s won twice. If he loses again, now you’re not losing to Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, or Charles Oliveira. You’re losing to the next generation.”

Despite falling short against some of the division’s elite, Chandler has consistently brought fireworks inside the cage. He’s delivered highlight-reel moments—like the brutal knockout of Tony Ferguson—but hasn’t been able to get past top-tier names like Oliveira, Poirier, and Gaethje.

Yet ‘Iron’ isn’t pointing fingers; he owns up to the missteps and knows the clock is ticking. Now, with the past behind him, the ex-Bellator king is finally ready to make his return this weekend as the UFC lands in Miami for its fourth event in the city. With the fight now less than a week away, Michael Chandler knows exactly what’s at stake. That’s why he’s coming in with something special for his British counterpart, Paddy Pimblett. What that looks like inside the Octagon—well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Michael Chandler teases big plans for Paddy Pimblett UFC 314 showdown

With the long, drawn-out Conor McGregor saga finally in the rearview, Michael Chandler has no intentions of slowing down. While he often claims that wins and losses don’t faze him—insisting he’s in it for the thrill of competition—deep down, the former Bellator champion understands the gravity of what lies ahead. When ‘Iron’ enters the Octagon to take on Paddy Pimblett, nearly nine years his junior, he knows it’s not just another bout.

Although Pimblett has yet to face the top echelon of the division, a victory over Chandler could catapult him into the top 10—and potentially signal the end of the American’s run in the UFC. Failing to get past a rising, hungry Liverpudlian—who’s coming off a win over Bobby Green—might mark the final chapter of Michael Chandler’s time with the promotion.

In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Chandler didn’t shy away from acknowledging how pivotal this fight is. Chandler revealed, “It’s a big fight,” and described it as a “life cycle” moment in a fighter’s journey. Laying out his approach, Chandler said: “Paddy’s good, he’s growing,” Chandler continued. “I think the pressure I’m going to put on him, he’s obviously going to keep that evading [style], throwing a lot of kicks, kind of throwing some wild punches, trying to keep things interesting in there, because he knows when one of these hands lands, it’s going to be different than Jordan Leavitt. It’s going to be different than Bobby Green.”

Now, with UFC 314 shaping up to be 2025’s most stacked card, what’s your take on Michael Chandler vs. Pimblett? Can Chandler steamroll the undefeated Liverpudlian, or will Paddy pull off another surprise? Drop your thoughts below.