Beneil Dariush gives Paddy Pimblett the ground advantage over Michael Chandler at UFC 314.
Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on former UFC title challenger Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in a five-round lightweight co-main event April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN/Disney+, ESPN+).
Dariush sees Chandler as Pimblett’s perfect ticket to the upper echelon of lightweight.
“I think for Paddy, it’s perfect,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “You could be a fan of Chandler, whatever, you have to admit he’s 2-4 in the UFC. Just being honest, I don’t think he’s on his way to the top. He’s on a downward slope, so it’s a perfect time for Paddy to kind of meet him there, and I think Paddy has a very good chance of beating him.”
Dariush was surprised with Chandler’s most recent performance where he lost to Charles Oliveira in their rematch at UFC 309. Chandler was taken down five times and controlled for almost 15 minutes en route to a unanimous decision loss.
“Charles was able to get a lot of takedowns on Chandler, which I’m being honest with you: I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Dariush continued. “I thought maybe one or two takedowns, but to be able to take him down every round, that was very surprising to me. So I think Paddy has a great chance. I think the fight will play out a lot standing, but if Paddy gauges in the grappling, he’ll actually have lots of success.
“For whatever reason, Chandler is wrestling less than he used to, and wrestling isn’t like striking where you could just hit some mitts and be back in shape for it. Wrestling, you got to drill, drill, drill, and it’s ugly, and it’s hard. As you get older, it becomes harder and harder to do that. He’s not wrestling as much, and that gives a really big opportunity for Paddy to win that fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
