The Paddy Pimblett Plan: How He Intends to Outsmart Michael Chandler in the Octagon
Ahead of his fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett has laid out his distinct gameplan for success against the perennial contender. And it all begins with distance management in a bid to frustrate the powerhouse striker.
Pimblett, who has made his way to the number twelve rank at the lightweight limit in various shuffles since last summer, most recently featured at UFC 304.
And continuing his unbeaten run in the Octagon, the former Cage Warriors champion submitted recent featured, King Green with a spectacular opening round triangle choke in Manchester.
Paddy Pimblett reveals gameplan to topple Michael Chandler at UFC 314
Booking a co-main event fight with Chandler over the course of five rounds in April, Pimblett has claimed he will stay elusive in a bid to evade the former — who he claims would knock his block off with one clean shot.
“Michael Chandler is a unit; he’s going to try and knock my head off,” Paddy Pimblett told ESPN. “But I think I have grappling, speed, and athleticism advantages. I plan to keep him at range, frustrate him with kicks, and maybe catch him with a low kick or knee as he steps in. I don’t think he’ll try to take me down because he knows I can submit him.”
Set for his five five round clash in the promotion, former featherweight star, Pimblett has been warned by Chandler that he faces an uphill battle already to match his ferocity if the fight enters the latter rounds.
“Obviously in his UFC debut, he (Paddy Pimblett) got dropped,” Micahel Chandler told ESPN. “(He) had some adversity there, was able to come back. I think the Jared Gordon fight, he lost that fight. I do think he was fading in the Tony Ferguson fight, and now he’s locked into the cage for 25 minutes against one of the most ferocious guys in the lightweight division. I can fight 50 minutes, let alone 25 minutes.
