UFC star Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett believes Michael Chandler can get the win over Conor McGregor if he uses his wrestling prowess.
The veteran American will square off with McGregor later this year when the Irishman makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon.
A former NCAA Division 1 wrestler in his college days, Chandler has used his elite-level grappling skills to great effect throughout his career.
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McGregor has struggled with wrestlers in the past, and was famously mauled on the ground by Khabib Nurmagomedov in their UFC title fight back in 2018.
Fortunately for McGregor, Chandler has a propensity for abandoning his wrestling and entering into firefights with his opponents, a scenario which the scouse star fears wouldn’t work for the Nashville native against The Notorious.
“It depends on if Chandler comes to wrestle,” said Pimblett when asked about how he sees the fight playing out.
“That’s my opinion because McGregor, I always say it, I don’t think anyone’s got as precise a left hand as that man.
“He just knows how to hit people. He hits you in a certain place and you go down.
“If Chandler comes into it wanting a war like he did with Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, McGregor’s going to knock him out I think.
“It’s not even about getting into a brawl because McGregor will just slip and rip and that’s what will do him.
“But if Chandler comes to wrestle, I can see him getting a decision win.”
McGregor’s bout with Chandler will be the 33-year-old’s first fight since he suffered a horrendous leg injury in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier. Despite the fight being announced in February, no date or venue has been forthcoming for the scrap.
McGregor’s USADA status complicates matters further, with reports suggesting he would need to re-enter the drug testing pool and register clean results for six months before being allowed to compete again.
That would mean the Dubliner’s return could be scheduled for October at the earliest. A double headliner alongside Jon Jones’s heavyweight clash with Stipe Miocic has been rumoured, but Pimblett can’t see this happening.
“It’s crazy isn’t it that we’ve got no date or no venue. I saw something the other day that said they’d do it on the same day as Jon Jones v Stipe Miocic, but there’s no chance they’re doing that because they couldn’t pick a main event out of Jon Jones and Conor McGregor.”
McGregor and Pimblett’s names often get lumped together given their journey to the UFC. Both men made a name for themselves as confident, brash young fighters, both men fought for Cage Warriors, and both men held Featherweight gold in the division.
Such similarities have made a McGregor v Pimblett contest a dream fight in the eyes of many fans, and is one that ‘The Baddy’ would love one day in the future.
“Of course, I mean I think that’s a fight that any lightweight, welterweight or middleweight wants.
“He’s the money fight. He puts bums on seats more than anyone. I think anyone would take up the chance to fight him.”
Paddy Pimblett was speaking ahead of Cage Warriors 153 which takes place in the 3Arena on April 29th. Ballymena’s Rhys McKee and MMA veteran Jimmy Wallhead top the bill in Welterweight Title unification bout. The majority Irish owned MMA promotion makes its return to Dublin with a card stacked with Irish talent such as James Sheehan, Adam Darby, Ryan Shelley, Leon Hill and Taka Mhandu. Tickets are available now at cagewarriors.com
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