sportskeeda
MICHAEL CHANDLER’s hopes of competing against Conor McGregor seem to have been crushed following a significant defeat to Paddy Pimblett.
The well-known fighter faced his third loss in a row during the co-main event of UFC 314 in Miami early Sunday morning.
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The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion faced a bloody TKO defeat in the fourth round against the pride of Liverpool in front of a full crowd at the Kaseya Center, notably attended by President Donald Trump.
Pimblett’s triumph over Chandler signifies the most considerable victory of his career and has thrust him into the title contention discussions for the lightweight division.
Following his victory, he wasted no time delivering a message to the division’s elite.
In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he stated: “Anyone else got any questions?”
Pimblett expertly maintained distance from Chandler through effective leg kicks early in the first round.
This forced Chandler to adapt his game plan and go for a significant takedown, which he managed to achieve.
Nonetheless, he was unable to keep Pimblett on the mat, and they ended up standing once again.
Chandler reminded Pimblett of his durability with a well-timed counter right hand.
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Pimblett continued to effectively employ calf kicks early in the second round, further compromising Chandler’s lead leg.
A brief pause in the action occurred mid-round when Chandler unintentionally kicked Pimblett in the groin while attempting his kick.
Upon resuming the fight, Chandler executed another takedown and briefly gained a dominant position on Pimblett’s back.
However, he found himself too high and ended up falling off, landing flat on the canvas.
Pimblett quickly capitalized, advancing his position and looking for submissions.
As the round neared its conclusion, he unleashed a flurry of elbows on Chandler while simultaneously locking in a body triangle.
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Pimblett delivered a deep cut on Chandler with a stunning flying knee moments after the fight resumed.
He quickly aimed for a finish but wisely chose to avoid overexerting himself and took Chandler down instead.
Pimblett then unleashed a series of ruthless strikes on a stunned and bloodied Chandler, transitioning smoothly.
The referee had no option but to stop the bout, establishing Pimblett as a legitimate contender in the lightweight rankings.
A visibly energized Pimblett, who cost Conor McGregor a significant £386k with his win over Chandler, proclaimed: “Anyone in the top four or top five.”
“I want that world title.”
He further declared, “I want Dustin [Poirier], Justin [Gaethje], Charles [Oliveira], or that posh boy Arman [Tsarukyan].
