MIAMI – Michael Chandler is set to fight in the co-main event of UFC 314, but he thinks his fight is the one everyone is really looking forward to.
Chandler, a former champion from Bellator and a UFC title challenger, will face Paddy Pimblett, a popular up-and-coming fighter from Britain. This match is happening this Saturday at Kaseya Center. It will be shown on pay-per-view, ESPN, and ESPN+ as the fight right before the main event, which is Alexander Volkanovski versus Diego Lopes for the featherweight title.
Even though there`s a title fight happening later, Chandler considers his fight with Pimblett to be “The People`s Main Event” at UFC 314.
“This is a sport about wins, losses, and rankings, but it’s also about having fights that fans are excited about,” Chandler told reporters at the UFC 314 media day on Wednesday. “This fight is one people are excited for. Whenever I or Paddy fight, people want to watch. They tune in hoping we win or lose, depending on if they like us. We both have that draw. This fight really feels like it`s ‘The People’s Main Event.’”
Chandler is going into this fight after losing his last two matches and having only won once in his last five UFC fights. He`s 38 years old and knows he`s not in the best position, but he`s not letting it bother him too much.
“I’ve only really felt like my back was against the wall twice in the UFC,” Chandler said. “The first time was when I first joined the UFC for my debut. I had a lot to gain, but also a lot to lose. You saw what happened when I beat Dan Hooker in just two and a half minutes. Then, a few fights later, I was up against it again facing Tony Ferguson, who was ranked No. 7 when I was No. 5. It was a risky situation, and everyone saw that amazing knockout. I do well when I`m in tough spots, and I think Saturday night will be similar to those times.”
“You need tough times and failures to really know who you are. Bad things have to happen for you to discover yourself, and I don’t even keep track of my win streak or how long it’s been since I won. It’s not important. It’s about the journey. It’s much less about just focusing on wins and losses and trying to be perfect. I’m just trying to be successful, not perfect.”
