Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 314 in Miami.
UFC 314 goes down Saturday night with a featherweight championship fight atop the bill, and before the fights get underway, Farah Hannoun will host a live-streamed preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.
In the main event, former champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] will square off for the 145-pound title vacated by Ilia Topuria. The co-main event features a five-round lightweight showdown between rising star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] and former Bellator champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].
UFC 314 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+/Disney+) takes place Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Below is the full UFC 314 lineup:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes – for vacant featherweight title
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva
Patricio Freire vs. Yair Rodriguez
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan
Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller
Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Su Mudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio
Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
Here’s when to expect Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva to make their cage walks at UFC 314 in Miami.
After much trash talk since being booked, [autotag]Bryce Mitchel[/autotag] and [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] are finally ready to settle their differences. Their featherweight fight scheduled for three rounds will take place Saturday, April 12 at UFC 314 from Kaseya Center in Miami.
Silva, a Dana White’s Contender Series alum, has four finishes in his first four UFC appearances. Mitchell is 2-2 in his past four bouts but is coming off a slam knockout of Kron Gracie this past December at UFC 310.
When does the UFC 314 fight card start?
The UFC 314 lineup consists of 13 fights. Early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva walkout time
As the featured bout, Chandler and Pimblett are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 11:15 p.m. ET.
Here’s when to expect Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett to make their cage walks at UFC 314 in Miami.
It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for UFC rising star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag] as he gets set for the biggest fight of his career in former Bellator champion and UFC title challenger [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]. Their lightweight fight scheduled for five rounds will take place Saturday, April 12 at UFC 314 from Kaseya Center in Miami.
Pimblett, 30, has slowly built himself up to this point, but there’s no doubt that a win over Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) – especially a finish or impressive performance – would make him a bona fide UFC star and propel him into title contention at 155 pounds.
A former Cage Warriors champion, Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has yet to taste defeat in six UFC appearances since making his debut in 2021. He’s coming off his most impressive victory, a first-round technical submission of King Green last July.
Chandler, 38, has lived up to his own hype of being an all-action fighter since joining the UFC. Chandler has five fight night bonuses in six UFC appearances. He most recently lost a five-round unanimous decision to Charles Oliveira last November, which was a rematch of their 2021 title fight also won by Oliveira.
When does the UFC 314 fight card start?
The UFC 314 lineup consists of 13 fights. Early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett walkout time
As the main event, Chandler and Pimblett are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET.
Here’s when to expect Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes to make their cage walks at UFC 314 in Miami.
A new UFC featherweight champion will be crowned when [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] step into the octagon. Their 145-pound title fight scheduled for five rounds will take place Saturday, April 12 at UFC 314 from Kaseya Center in Miami.
Volkanovski, 36, will enter UFC 314 looking to become a two-time champ after losing the title to Topuria by knockout in February 2024. Volkanovski should be determined to prove his career still has plenty to offer after losing three of his past four bouts. His other two losses during that span were failed attempts at claiming the lightweight title from Islam Makhachev. Volkanovski’s most recent win came in July 2023 when he finished Yair Rodriguez by third-round TKO.
Lopes, 30, will enter UFC 314 on a five-fight winning streak. His most recent result was a dominant unanimous decision win over Brian Ortega last September at UFC 306.
When does the UFC 314 fight card start?
The UFC 314 lineup consists of 13 fights. Early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes walkout time
As the main event, Volkanovski and Lopes are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 12:30 a.m. ET.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes light heavyweight bout at UFC 314.
[autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Reyes[/autotag] meet Saturday in the UFC 314 main card opener at Kaseya Center in Miami. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 32-27-1
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes UFC 314 preview
Krylov (29-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returns to action for the first time since March 2023, when he submitted Ryan Spann in the opening round. The 32-year-old is currently on a three-fight winning streak that includes a unanimous decision over Volkan Oezdemir and another first-round stoppage, albeit by TKO, against Alexander Gustafsson. … Reyes (14-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) enters his first fight of 2025 as a winner of back-to-back fights. In his most recent outing at UFC 310, he ground and pounded Anthony Smith for a second-round stoppage, which followed a first-round TKO of Dustin Jacoby last June.
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes UFC 314 expert pick, prediction
Despite having a stacked card chalked full of appropriate lighter-weight fights to kick off the main card, the UFC matchmakers are once again spitting on Joe Silva’s tried and true method of booking featherweights or lightweights to open up main cards.
However, in Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby’s defense, this bout between Krylov and Reyes should be action-packed for as long as it lasts.
Krylov has been an unsung player in this division for some time, but it’s hard to know what to expect from him after just north of a two-year layoff from competition.
I suspect that Krylov will be the more willing wrestler with a cardio edge, but I also believe that Reyes has some underrated grappling of his own and that his southpaw counters could provide some problems for his aggressive counterpart.
Although part of me thinks we’re in for 15 minutes of fighting that gets real sloppy toward the back half, I’ll take a flier on the underdog Reyes to join the shortlist of fighters who have finished the durable Krylov.
The pick is Reyes by knockout in Round 1.
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes UFC 314 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Ukranian-born fighter, listing Krylov -188 and Reyes +152 via FanDuel.
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes UFC 314 start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Krylov and Reyes are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva featherweight bout at UFC 314.
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Jean Silva[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC 314 main card at Kaseya Center in Miami. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 32-27-1
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva UFC 314 preview
Mitchell (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) enters his first fight of 2025 on the heels of a TKO victory over Kron Gracie at UFC 310 in December. The outing was Mitchell’s return to action from being brutally knocked out by Josh Emmett in the first round of their showdown at UFC 296 a year prior. … Silva (15-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has ripped through all four of his UFC opponents. The Brazilian striker has scored stoppages of Westin Wilson, Charles Jourdain, Drew Dober, and most recently, Melsik Baghdasaryan.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva UFC 314 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a polarizing bout between featherweights Silva and Mitchell.
Between Mitchell’s antisemitic statements and his unapologetic white supremacist strutting to the fact that the UFC has only further platformed and subsequently emboldened him since, I’ve genuinely had a hard time even wanting to cover this crass and exploitive example of matchmaking.
Even if Silva comes out here and smashes Mitchell, I still have difficulty squaring how continuing to pay, publicize and platform a Nazi is a form of punishment. But considering how much America welcomes Hitler-saluting sociopathic losers like Elon Musk, it’s no surprise that Mitchell was able to win back some fans by… *checks notes* …flexing about how many dogs he’s killed.
In fact, money has been steadily pouring in on Mitchell from a gambling perspective, which I get given the value there is in the somewhat still untested ground game of Silva. That said, I’m not sure Mitchell’s wrestling and strength will be enough to control his Brazilian foe.
Although samples have been small, Silva has shown enough glimpses that tell me he understands what he’s doing in closed quarters. Couple that with the fact that Silva is 3-0 opposite UFC southpaws, and I suspect that he’s able to hurt Mitchell with his counter left hook.
The pick is Silva by knockout in Round 2.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva UFC 314 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Brazilian, listing Silva -205 and Mitchell +164 via FanDuel.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva UFC 314 start time, how to watch
Mitchell and Silva are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
Check out live round-by-round updates and official results from UFC 314 in Miami.
UFC 314 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. PT). UFC 314 takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami.
In the headliner, former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) takes on Diego Lopes (27-6 MMA, 6-1 UFC) for the belt vacated when Ilia Topuria moved up to lightweight. In the co-feature, Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) takes on Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at lightweight. Plus, former Bellator all-time great and two-division champ Patricio Freire (36-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC).
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 6 p.m. ET for the early prelims on ESPN+, 8 p.m. p.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and the main card on pay-per-view.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
UFC 314 lineup
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes – for vacant featherweight title
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva
Patricio Freire vs. Yair Rodriguez
Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)
Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan
Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller
Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Su Mudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio
Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan
What time does UFC 314 start?
The UFC 314 lineup consists of 13 fights. Early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, prelims at 8 p.m. ET, and the pay-per-view main card at 10 p.m. ET.
How to watch UFC 314
The UFC 314 early prelims at 6 p.m. ET will stream on ESPN+ and Disney+.
The UFC 314 prelims at 8 p.m. ET will air on ESPN, as well as stream on ESPN+ and Disney+.
The 314 main card will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes inside the Patricio Freire vs. Yair Rodriguez featherweight bout at UFC 314.
[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] meet Saturday on the UFC 314 main card at Kaseya Center in Miami. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 4-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 32-27-1
Patricio Freire vs. Yair Rodriguez UFC 314 preview
Former Bellator champion Freire (36-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his UFC debut on the big stage of a UFC pay-per-view main card. At 37, Freire may not have much tread left on the tires. He enters this contest on the heels of a TKO win over Jeremy Kennedy last March. The win snapped a two-fight skid: a super short-notice replacement fight against Chihiro Suzuki under the Rizin banner and a unanimous decision loss against Sergio Pettis in a challenge for the Bellator bantamweight title. … Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) enters this fight looking to shake off back-to-back losses to Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski in a title unification bout. Rodriguez won the interim featherweight title at UFC 284 by submitting Josh Emmett in February 2023.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Freire UFC 314 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the paid portion of the card is a solid featherweight fight between Freire and Rodriguez.
As a longtime fan of “Pitbull,” I’m happy to finally see Freire competing for the world’s MMA leader. However, I can’t help but wonder if Freire has come over to the UFC too late at 37 years of age.
To make things worse, the UFC matchmakers did decide to go the Joe Silva route in regards to booking low key difficult debuts that are typically a mix of stylistic challenges and comical height differences.
I don’t blame any for picking Rodriguez, who will be live for everything from head kick knockouts to sketchy decision wins. That said, I have a hard time trusting Rodriguez’s fight I.Q. given the fact that he’s just as likely to slip on his own banana peels with the choices he makes.
From electing to close his guard with his back toward to fence to his repeated willingness to want to grapple with hurt Brian Ortega, Freire supporters may not even have to bank on the Brazilian’s underrated wrestling ability this weekend.
Add in the fact that Freire’s countering game still appears to be intact, and I’ll take a flier on the underdog to capitalize on the Mexican’s mistakes.
The pick is for Freire to win by unanimous decision.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Freire UFC 314 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Mexican fighter, listing Rodriguez -196 and Freire +158 via FanDuel.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Freire UFC 314 start time, how to watch
Freire and Rodriguez are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:20 p.m. ET. The fight streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth on the UFC 314 main event for the vacant featherweight championship in Miami.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 314 main event between [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag] for the vacant featherweight championship.
Supplemental info:
+ UFC featherweight champion
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ National wrestling gold medalist
+ 13 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Excellent feints and footwork
+ Accurate shot selection and counters
^ Educated lead hand and hard leg kicks
+ Solid wrestling ability
^ Takedowns, transitions, scrambles
+ Good ground striking from topside
Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple grappling accolades
+ 10 KO victories
+ 12 submission wins
+ 15 first-round finishes
+ Knockout power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Improved boxing ability
^ Accurate left hook and uppercut returns
+ Hard calf kicks
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Dynamic submission game
+ Dangerous off of back
^ Attacks from high-to-low
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes point of interest: Featherweight fireworks
Brian Ortega (red gloves) fights Diego Lopes (blue bloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. (Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)
Not one to say no to a scrap, Lopes has proven that he is down to step up in multiple ways.
Improving his striking skills in recent years, Lopes shows some natural pop in his punches and kicks. Doing a bit better at staying over his feet, Lopes has made measurable strides since his early days of being a jiu-jitsu brawler.
Although Lopes’ aggressive instincts are still clearly intact, the 30-year-old Brazilian displays some solid straight punches that serve him well when coming forward and countering kicks. Whenever matched with a fellow orthodox opposition, Lopes will unleash crashing calf kicks often set up by his underrated lead hand.
Lopes can also strike potently off of collar ties, but will need to be careful when closing in on Volkanovski.
An acclaimed wrestler-turned-rugby player, Volkanovski initially stepped onto the scene as a come-forward slugger who typically approached the pocket like an oncoming juggernaut from his compact stance. A natural athlete, Volkanovski shows little issue when having to crash distance with his patent kicks and crosses, strikes that have been typically set up off of prodding jabs.
However, since incorporating the influences of Brad Riddell and his sister gym City Kickboxing, Volkanovski has sharpened his feints, footwork, and overall striking fundamentals, measuring and moving in space more smoothly and on balance than before. The 36-year-old Australian will now change up his combination approach, doing things like leading with stance-debasing kicks and finishing off combinations with a long lead hand.
Volkanovski also has taken some of the feinting swagger from his stablemates, showing or throwing away certain shots to land others with a bigger picture in mind.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Islam Makhachev (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkanovski (blue gloves) during UFC 284 at RAC Arena. (Jasmin Frank, USA TODAY Sports)
Considering that both men come from grappling bases, no one should be shocked if this featherweight party touches the floor at some point.
Grappling since the age of 5, Lopes is a lifelong martial artist who moves on the floor like second nature.
An absolute nightmare in transitions, Lopes flows through the position and submission index faster than any bogus AI program could replicate. Whether combining armbar and triangle threats or snatching up legs on an exit, Lopes is great about keeping a high-to-low theme to his attacks.
In more recent stretches of his career, Lopes appears to have made a real effort to shore up his wrestling, both defensively and offensively.
Not only does Lopes have things like clinch trips or reactive shots in his back pocket, but the Brazilian has also shown an upgraded ability to defend and dictate action from the clinch. Still, I’ll be curious to see how Lopes’ entries stack up against Volkanovski (should he elect to get offensive in that department).
Since reining in his aggression and fighting smarter, Volkanovski appears to be even harder to meaningfully take down and control due to his overall awareness of positioning – particularly against the fence.
Alex Volkanovski’s counter-grappling notes—love that he uses my favorite MMA getup: half guard to single-leg getups
Doesn’t reap the leg for extra leverage but nails the crucial detail of LOW underhooks BELOW the ass, as this helps thwart front-choke counters/allows re-wrestling pic.twitter.com/emQOSraVXw
Even when taken down, Volkanovski displays solid head positioning and smart details like a low underhook (limiting front-choke counters) when looking to execute things like half-guard getups.
Even when taken down by Chad Mendes and rear-mounted, Volkanovski’s deliberate reach across/framing creates the illusion of further back exposure/control (hence opening up opps to slide back into half-guard) as the basic theme/muscle memory from above also gets the job done here: pic.twitter.com/NehnXtPItc
Offensively, Volkanovski seems to stay consistent with said trends, appearing to prefer more efficient options like inside trips from the clinch as opposed to the traditional double and single-legs against the fence that he used to favor. And when Volkanovski can establish top position, he embraces his honey badger-like sensibilities by staking claims to positions through punishing strikes and rides.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes odds
The oddsmakers and the public slightly favor the former champion, listing Volkanovski -132 and Lopes +104 via FanDuel.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes prediction, pick
Between the legitimate allure of Lopes and the looming statistic of fighters failing to win titles past 35 in the lighter weight classes, it’s no surprise to see MMA bettors backing the Brazilian at the betting window.
Not only do MMA gamblers tend to favor younger athletes, but they also value measurements like height more than a woman in her early 20s on Tinder does.
I mean, this card is jam-packed with more proven products that are shorter and older facing off against younger, larger opportunists – and in every fight public money is pouring in on the lesser-proven products.
Now, the sad thing is that this is part and parcel with the fight game as people who blindly bet against aging fighters seemingly make out okay, more often than not (circle of life and all). Nevertheless, there are still things that are too difficult to look past.
Aside from it seemingly being easy for people to forget that Volkanovski was considered the top pound-for-pound fighter not too long ago, he has also proven himself in latter rounds with his ability to both adjust and push the pace. Lopes, on the other hand, has shown to flag in three-round affairs if he’s unable to find a finish.
Don’t get me wrong: Lopes is a proven finisher who has the tools to hurt Volkanovski.
Whether Lopes is launching hard calf kicks to disrupt Volkanovski’s stance or is trying to replicate the uppercut success that Max Holloway found in his series with the Australian, he could club and sub his way to a UFC championship.
The potential problem, however, is that Lopes’ hardwiring to return with power could start to hit a hard point of diminishing returns against a fighter like Volkanovski if he’s not able to find a finish. And if Volkanovski can dictate jab and leg-kick traffic like I suspect he can, then don’t be surprised to see his right hand (from both stances) start to find its home with regularity given Lopes’ common culprits.
I don’t doubt Lopes’ skills or the fact that he’ll likely be on the right side of some big moments in this fight. But if he can’t find a finish by the 7-8 minute mark, then I believe his on-paper chances at success will start to drastically diminish.
As per usual, I’ll be officially siding with the more proven product to survive the early scares and pull away down the stretch by reminding the masses of his vicious ground-and-pound game.
The pick is Volkanovski to force a stoppage by strikes in Round 4.
Prediction: Volkanovski inside the distance
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes start time, where to watch
As the main event, Volkanovski and Lopes are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 12:30 a.m. ET. The fight streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth on the UFC 314 co-main event between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett in Miami.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 314 co-main event between [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ 3x Bellator lightweight champion
+ 4x NCAA Division-I All-American wrestler
+ 11 KO victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ KO power
^ Dangerous with both hands
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Improved footwork and fundamentals
^ Will shift stances and work the body
+ Excellent wrestling ability
^ Explosive level-changing takedowns
+ Good transitional grappler
^ Effective ground strikes and submissions
Supplemental info:
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt (2nd degree)
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 6 KO victories
+ 10 submission wins
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ Steadily improving striking fundamentals
+ Hard kicks at all levels
+ Crafty clinch game
^ Good trips, takedowns and strikes
+ Works well from front-headlock variations
^ Dynamic submission game
+ Dangerous transitional grapplers
^ Always looks for the back
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett point of interest: The Bull vs. The Baddy
An inherent pressure fighter who busted onto the UFC stage like a proverbial bull in a China shop, Chandler can seldom be found taking a back step in his contests. Carrying over the athletic ability and explosiveness that he demonstrated as a wrestler on the Mizzou mats, Chandler’s boxing technique made impressive strides back in his initial Bellator tournament run, which in turn helped him earn his first world title.
Since then, Chandler has seemed to settle down at Sanford MMA, where striking coach Henri Hooft has been able to help with the offensive fundamentals.
Chandler has attempted to further his fundamentals and footwork, moving much more fluidly in combinations and even adding in leg kicks of his own. The 38-year-old has also made a more concerted effort to go to the body in recent years, which should serve him well against his current counterpart.
Nevertheless, Chandler will need to respect what’s coming back at him this Saturday.
Say what you will about “The Baddy,” but Pimblett has been showing steady improvements since stepping onto the UFC stage. From jabbing more and leaping in less to attempting to keep his chin tucked, Pimblett is making an honest effort to even out his game.
The English fighter has long had some deceptively hard kicks that could come in handy for this contest, but Pimblett’s power seems to be more prevalent everywhere after making some clear strides in his strength and conditioning has him looking like a ripped Owen Heart.
When in close, Pimblett is good about sneaking knees to the body, allowing him to flow into other offensive opporunitities in closed quarters.
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Paddy Pimblett locks King Green into submission during UFC 304. (John Sibley, Reuters)
Considering that both men are proven finishers on the floor, I will be curious to see if either fighter is confident enough to gamble in the grappling department.
A four-time NCAA All-American standout who comes from a solid program and wrestling class, Chandler demonstrates the ability to dictate wrestling traffic in most of his fights.
Whether Chandler is changing levels for a double or chaining off of a single-leg, the former Mizzou team captain can be difficult to deny when he puts his mind to taking someone down. Chandler’s reactive speed and almost karate-like footwork allow his level changes decent cover in the open, but the 15-year pro seems to get into most of his grappling exchanges against the cage.
However, despite Chandler being the better wrestler on paper, I’d be careful about counting out Pimblett.
Although Pimblett is more than capable of hitting your more traditional takedown shots in the open and against the cage, the English fighter appears particularly comfortable when working from the clinch.
Almost inviting opponents to press him into the cage at times, Pimblett is ok with working from more negative positions if it means he gets to create contact. No stranger to judo-style attacks, Pimblett is good about briefly disrupting opponents’ bases in order to open up opportunities to get the jump on them.
Whether Pimblett is alternating between knees to foot sweeps down low or snatching up front-headlocks up high, “The Baddy” has proven that he is a creative fighter that you can’t afford to get lackadaisical with. And if there’s even the slightest daylight in regards to a pathway to someone’s back, you can bet Pimblett is gonna find it and make hay from the position.
Luckily for Chandler, he’s got some underrated grappling skills and experience in his back pocket.
Linking up with high-level camps and catch wrestling coaches like Neil Melanson early on in his career, we have seen the former Mizzou Tiger show solid glimpses of a fine-tuned transitional grappler during parts of his evolution. From submission defense to the small details of fighting inside of someone’s guard, Chandler shows all the fundamentals from hand-fighting to head position, which, of course, opens up the opportunity for him to land his ferocious ground and pound.
Chandler is also not afraid to take backs that become available but runs the risk of falling into the honeytrap of a high-paced fight should he allow things to get too wild.
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett odds
Despite the oddsmakers opening the American as the favorite, public money has come pouring in on the Englishman, listing Pimblett -160 and Chandler +124 via FanDuel.
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett prediction, pick
Considering the propensity MMA gamblers have to grow tumescent over any opportunity to fade aging veterans opposite hyped-up younger products, the line flip above does not surprise me in the slightest.
Between losing 3 of his last 4 fights to his pathological compulsion to cheat, Chandler is not exactly the most popular fighter for a multitude of reasons. That said, I’m a firm believer in doing your best to put aside any personal biases you have if you mean to accurately analyze a fight (which I know is challenging on a card that’s featuring Bryce Mitchell and all).
Although my biases run opposite with a guy like Chandler given my bias of sharing the same coaches and training rooms with him in the past, I believe that I’ve fairly analyzed his game and have had no issue when having to make official picks against him. However, I have a hard time doing that here.
Feelings for either fighter aside, I’m struggling to be a believer of “The Baddy,” as well as justifying this betting line swing in his favor.
I know he’s the younger and more popular fighter, but that’s not how fights are decided, folks. More often than not, it is skills and styles that carry the most weight as far as what influences the results of fights.
Yes, this sport is not a young man’s game and judges can also unfortunately weigh heavily into the equation of outcomes (something that Pimblett has benefited from on multiple occasions throughout his career as far as favorable scorecards go), but I’m not sure I can make sense of the undeserved confidence Pimblett and his supporters seem to carry.
Aside from having a tailored and taken care of career path full of favorable beats and bounces, Pimblett’s best wins come with serious caveats attached.
Whether we’re talking about him being on the right side of some of the worst scorecards submitted in or out of the octagon (e.g. his Cage Warriors title fight with Julian Erosa or his UFC fight with Jared Gordon) or the fact that he fell apart against the ghost of Tony Ferguson in Round 3 of their fight, I can’t say that Pimblett has sold me coming off of his latest banana-peel victory over a clearly washed Bobby Green.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mean any disrespect as I love fighters like Ferguson and Green. I also don’t want to come off as being absolutely dismissive of Pimblett’s skills and improvements – which I did my best to highlight in previous sections.
However, when it comes to striking defense, Pimblett still has a habit of raising his head a bit as the fight wears on and as the exchanges go longer. Couple that with Pimblett’s penchant for eating left hands, and I can’t help but side with Chandler to blow through his defenses.
Even when compromised and coming off a two-year layoff in his last fight, Chandler was still able to land multiple left hands – coming forward and off the counter – late into a five-round affair with Charles Oliveira. In fact, since knocking out Benson Henderson in their rematch, Chandler’s left hand has quietly overtaken his right as his moneymaker goes.
The pick is Chandler via a vicious knockout in the early rounds.
Prediction: Chandler inside the distance
Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett start time, where to watch
As the co-main event, Chandler and Pimblett are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET. The fight streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
