Paddy Pimblett grabbed everyone’s attention after UFC 314’s co-main event. His third-round TKO over Michael Chandler led to a fiery press conference where he called out Ilia Topuria, mocked his relevance, and laid out his lightweight plans.
Pimblett’s fearless ambition
Pimblett dismantled Chandler with a jumping knee and ground-and-pound, sealing the stoppage at 3 minutes and 7 seconds of round three. The victory kept his UFC streak at 7-0 and earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
He took aim at Topuria, who left the featherweight belt to chase lightweight glory.
“To be honest, I forgot about him. I forgot all about him, or I would’ve mentioned him in the cage. … That’s how irrelevant he is. I’m ranked higher than he is at lightweight, so I’d love to welcome him at 155, but apparently, he’s sitting out and waiting for the title shot,” Pimblett said.
Pimblett predicted a repeat performance.
“But what I’ve just done to Chandler, [that’s] the blueprint to beating him. I’ll do the exact same thing to Ilia what I’ve done to Chandler,” he added.
His confidence leaned on his size and striking edge, which overwhelmed Chandler.
THE KING OF THE NORTH 👑
Paddy Pimblett earns the Round 3 TKO for the biggest win in his career!
[ #UFC314 | LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/2vC9ygf7Nv
— UFC (@ufc) April 13, 2025
He weighed the division’s future.
“I’ve seen stuff where Islam might retire after another defense or two, or if [Jack Della Maddalena] beats Belal Muhammad, he’ll move up and fight for the welterweight belt,” Pimblett explained.
A changing landscape could fast-track his title path.
Pimblett stays open to all comers.
“Whoever’s in front of me, that’s who I fight. Whoever the UFC sends me… that’s who I fight next, and that’ll be whoever I fight next,” he said.
His focus is climbing, no matter who stands across the cage.
Their rivalry runs deep. A 2022 hotel clash and social media spats built bad blood between Pimblett and Topuria. Topuria’s lightweight jump makes a fight realistic, and Pimblett’s words keep the tension high.
After the fight, Pimblett stood at 23 wins and 3 losses, while Chandler dropped to 23 wins and 10 losses.
