Paddy Pimblett’s critics are officially running out of ammo.
Pimblett dominated on Saturday night in the co-main event at UFC 314. The 30-year-old defeated Michael Chandler in their lightweight bout by third-round stoppage after a relentless barrage of punches and elbows.
After the referee put a stop to the fight, Pimblett took some time to celebrate and then turned to the television cameras to deliver a two-word message.
“What now?” said Pimblett emphatically.
Now 23-3 overall as a pro, Pimblett first rose to prominence through the promotion company Cage Warriors. He did not make the leap to UFC until 2021 and has faced many questions throughout his MMA career about the quality of opponents that he has faced as well as his overall ability as a fighter.
But Pimblett, who also defeated Bobby “King” Green by first-round technical submission at UFC 304 last July, put a lot of those criticisms to rest with his emphatic win over Chandler. The veteran Chandler is a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion and was also previously a UFC Lightweight Championship challenger. Pimblett easily disposing of a fighter with Chandler’s resume might just be the signature win of his career thus far.
It remains to be seen who Pimblett’s next opponent will be (though many are already looking ahead to a potential 2026 clash with Islam Makhachev for Makhachev’s UFC lightweight title). There is also the possibility of a bout against Pimblett’s bitter rival Ilia Topuria, who most recently dismantled MMA great Max Holloway by knockout.
