Michael Chandler is firmly in Paddy Pimblett’s corner ahead of UFC 329, predicting the Liverpool lightweight will get past Benoit Saint Denis in Las Vegas.
Pimblett enters the July 11 lightweight bout at T-Mobile Arena as a slight underdog, but Chandler believes the odds are off.
"Paddy is better than everybody thinks he is," Chandler said, pointing to Pimblett’s recent form. "I've said that. He showed it in the Justin Gaethje fight. BSD brings a fast pace to it, but Paddy is a heck of a competitor. Paddy is mentally tough. We saw that in the Gaethje fight. I think Paddy is more skilled. Paddy has more ways to win. I think Paddy gets that win."
Chandler also revealed he was briefly in the mix to face Saint Denis on the same card.
"I was actually supposed to fight BSD on this card," Chandler said. "I asked for him. I told Hunter Campbell, 'Name a better fight that you can put on the White House lawn than me vs. BSD. He's a hard-nosed, fast-paced brawler, fought for his country in the military. I'm a red, white, and blue-blooded American, passionate, come forward, get in your face.' It would have been a chaotic fight, and then obviously we pivoted to Ruffy."
Chandler is now scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington DC.
