Paddy Pimblett Calls Out Top Lightweights And Conor McGregor

Paddy Pimblett continued his run up the UFC lightweight rankings with a dominant win over former title challenger Michael Chandler in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC 314 fight card. After his third-round TKO victory, Pimblett set his sites on some familiar names at the top of the UFC rankings. Pimblett also called out former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor after learning McGregor had placed a significant bet on Chandler to win at UFC 314.

UFC 314: Paddy Pimblett Stops Michael Chandler

Pimblett, a former Cage Warriors champion, was 6-0 heading into UFC 314. Despite his run, the 30-year-old entered his matchup opposite Chandler with a chip on his shoulder. Before the event, Pimblett spoke about the rumblings he had heard from fans and pundits during his time with the UFC, which began in September 2021 with a first-round TKO win over Luigi Vendramini.

“Every fight, I get underestimated and overlooked,” Pimblett said during a UFC 314 pre-fight press conference. “But I’m getting in there now with someone who’s top 10, someone who’s fought all the legends in the division. He’s fought for the title.

“So finally, I’m going to get in there, and when I win, people can’t chat (expletive) – but they will. The goalposts always get moved when I win. People will start saying stuff. But I’m going to be ranked No. 7 once this fight’s over, and I will be in title contention.”

Chandler was the No. 7 ranked fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings on UFC 314 fight night, while Pimblett checked in at No. 12 following his UFC 304 submission win over Bobby “King” Green.

Pimblett fought well against Chandler. The one glaring weakness in Pimblett’s previous outings, his inability or unwillingness to tuck his chin when involved in a striking battle, was not noticeable at UFC 314.

After the stoppage, which seemed to be facilitated by a well-timed knee that left a nasty gash under Chandler’s left eye, I wrote of Pimblett, “Paddy Pimblett took what Michael Chandler gave him, which was an opportunity to grab the spotlight, and Pimblett did that on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 314.

Chandler fought a little less recklessly than usual but attacked in a straight line while winging wide punches. That allowed Pimblett to use his speed and size to light up Chandler on the feet, including timing and landing a knee at the start of the third stanza, opening an enormous gash under Chandler’s left eye. Not long after that, Pimblett finished the fight with strikes on the mat.

Pimblett looked very good in this matchup. The win should earn him a fight against the lightweight division’s elite.”

UFC 314: Paddy Pimblett Calls Out The Lightweight Elite

During his time on the mic in the Octagon, Pimblett said, “Anyone in the top four, top five (is who I want next). I want that world title. Laugh all you want and say I’ll never be champ, just like you said I’ll never get ranked, I’ll never be in the top 10. Well what now, you gang of mushrooms? I want Dustin (Poirier), Justin (Gaethje), Charles (Oliveira) or the little posh boy Arman (Tsarukyan) – any of them four.

I respect Dustin, Justin, and Charles. Charles is the biggest legend out of them all, and he gets called the best submission artist the UFC’s ever seen, but I dispute that. I’m here. So, me vs. Charles. (Expletive) Arman. He’s a little helmet, (expletive) that sausage.”

Tsarukyan is the No. 1 ranked lightweight, while Oliveira and Gaethje are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the division. Poirier checks in at No. 5, one spot below Max Holloway, who Pimblett did not mention.

UFC 314: Paddy Pimblett Is Unhappy With Conor McGregor

During the UFC 314 post-fight press conference, Pimblett took umbrage with McGregor saying he had placed a $500,000 bet on Chandler to win by knockout.

“Even McGregor putting money on Chandler to win, lad. The Irish-Scouse connection,” Pimblett said “He’s meant to back me. And even never! So if he wants it, he can get it as well.

“Yeah I didn’t think he’d go against me, to be honest. I thought he’d back me and not Chandler, but it’s one of them isn’t it?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever see him. You never know, I’ll say to him ‘what happened there? (Expletive) hell, the Irish-Scouse connection, you’re meant to back me, but you went for the Yank instead.’ But, it’s one of them, if he ever wants to come back, I’ll be here waiting.”

UFC 314: Paddy Pimblett Forgot About Ilia Topuria

One name that Pimblett did not mention during his list of callouts was now former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who gave up his 145-pound title, which Alexander Volkanovski won at UFC 314, to move to lightweight.

Pimblett spoke about that oversight, “To be honest, I forgot about him. I forgot all about him as I would’ve mentioned his name in the cage. I don’t call him ‘sanitiser boy’ anymore, he’s now ‘chorizo’. But, as I said, I literally forgot all about him. That’s how irrelevant he is. I’m ranked higher than he is lightweight. I’d like to welcome him to 155, but apparently he’s sitting out and waiting for the title shot, but what I’ve done to Chandler is half the blueprint to beating him… he’s even more of a midget than Chandler is. Like, I’ll do the exact same to him like what I did to Chandler. But as I say, anyone can get it.”

UFC 314: Paddy Pimblett Has A Run In With Colby Covington

Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington was in attendance at UFC 314, and is he often does, he inserted himself in the event, getting in shouting match with Pimblett after the event.

Pimblett also addressed Covington after the fight (via MMA Junkie), “He only does something when a camera is about,” Pimblett said on the post-fight show. “I seen him at Power Slap the other week and walked past him. I was staring at him and he looked at the floor like this. Now, he knows there is a camera about. He walked past, so I just said to him, ‘I’ll go and slap you, but you’ll go and ring the police like you did with (Jorge) Masvidal you little grass (snitch).

“… Anyway, he ain’t (expletive). He pays supermodels to stand with him, the (expletive) bum. He’s a nobody. He’s on a three-fight losing streak. He’s irrelevant. He’s trying to use me now to stay relevant because he’s a nobody. He’s a bum. I’ll beat Colby Covington for the laugh but I’ve got bigger fish to fry than that little mushroom.”

In the end, Paddy Pimblett had an excellent showing at UFC 314, and it looks like his next fight will be against one of the “old-guard” elite of the UFC’s lightweight division.