UFC veteran Dustin Poirier doubts if Michael Chandler will ever recover from his latest defeat at the hands of Paddy Pimblett.
Despite their longtime rivalry, UFC veteran Dustin Poirier still sympathises with Michael Chandler over his string of losses. Chandler has had a rough season, going from waiting on Conor McGregor for months to losing to Charles Oliveira and now his recent loss to Paddy Pimblett. Poirier, who served as the desk analyst for UFC 314, had a lot to say about Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chandler’s performance. The former champion’s loss has led to a drop in his career, 2-5, while Pimblett secured his third win in a row.
“I think this whole week what we’ve been talking about—his back was against the wall,” Poirier said about Chandler during the UFC 314 post-fight show. “The thing Anthony [Smith] didn’t like, the crossroads reference, I think that’s what that was. We saw him lose again tonight, and not just lose but get rolled by a young guy. That was a beating.”
Poirier noted that Chandler looked exhausted in the first round. Although Chandler put up a good performance, there’s no denying that over the five rounds he began to slow down until Pimblett ended the fight with a TKO. This defeat has led many, including Poirier, to believe that the 38-year-old may have his best years behind him.
“After the first round, he had some success with the takedown, with the wrist ride, just riding him out in that first round,” Poirier said. “He won that first round and just didn’t look like himself in the second. Didn’t look sturdy on his feet. Looked like he was slowing down, which we don’t see him ever slow down in the second round. He’s in phenomenal shape, looks great, but these years catch up to you.”
As far as Pimblett goes, consider Poirier impressed after initially thinking the lightweight from Liverpool was more hype than reality.
“I thought he was a goofy-looking guy with a silly haircut that people are kind of getting behind like a fad,” Poirier said. “Like ‘oh this is fun, let’s cheer this goofy-looking guy on!’ But when you have a perfect storm like this where you are the goofy guy and you say these things and then you go out there and win fights, you become a massive star in the sport. That’s what he’s doing. He went from a prospect to a contender tonight. He’s a lightweight contender now.
“He’s in the top. Who doesn’t have a fight right now? Gaethje? Maybe Arman? Oliveira? All fun fights, all great fights. You don’t fight back now. You continue to fight up and go for the title. I think you give him one of those guys.”
Though Chandler’s future in the octagon now hangs in the balance, his resilience and history in the sport can’t be overlooked. Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett continues to shatter expectations and silence critics.
