Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO, Dana White, dropped a series of marquee matchups last night for the upcoming UFC 314 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., April 12, 2025, at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
Including the lightweight banger between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett.
“In this sport, things move very fast,” Chandler told his social media followers. “I was on a vacation last week, got a call; said, ‘Hey, what do you think about fighting Paddy Pimblett in April?’ I said, ‘Well, Hunter, April is only eight weeks away. I like to put down four weeks of training before I go into an eight-week camp, let me think about it.’ Next day, flew to Vegas, sat down with him in his office and we talked through everything, and we made the decision: fighting Paddy Pimblett in Miami, April 12. Because an imperfect plan implemented now, is better than a perfect plan implemented months from now.”
Chandler, ranked five spots above Pimblett in the official lightweight rankings, has dropped two straight and four of his last five — but also boasts five post-fight performance bonuses, which is why “Iron” continues to secure PPV real estate on major UFC fight cards.
“In this sport things move fast, there’s a lot of stuff going on with the division,” Chandler continued. “It’s a big summer for the lightweight division and after the last fight, one of the most disappointing losses of my career, I wanted to get right back on the horse, get right back in the Octagon. Here we go! I like the matchup — love the matchup, actually. I respect Paddy. I think Paddy’s a skilled fighter, think he’s still got a bright future, but I think he’s gonna run into a buzzsaw named Michael Chandler on April 12.”
The 38 year-old Chandler is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Charles Oliveira in their UFC 309 rematch back in November. As for Pimblett, 30, he’s fresh off his King Green submission at UFC 304 last July, keeping his UFC record perfect at 6-0 with four finishes.
“As always, I will be the most entertaining guy that steps inside the Octagon that night,” Chandler said. “I will have everybody on their feet. I will have everybody on the edge of their seat. And in typical Chandler fashion, we’re going out there with one goal in mind, and that’s to separate our opponent from consciousness. Can’t wait! We head into training camp today and for the next eight weeks, we’re gonna be getting after it. Thank you guys for being with me on this journey — god bless and I’ll see you at the top!”
For the rest of the UFC 314 fight card and PPV lineup click here.