What’s next for Michael Chandler after UFC 314?

In the co-main event of UFC 314 this past Saturday, we saw a big time matchup in the lightweight division. Former title challenger Michael Chandler (23-10) was looking to get back in the win column and become the first man to defeat Paddy Pimblett (23-3) inside the octagon.

Being completely honest, I really thought this was going to be a statement fight for Michael Chandler. I’ve never bought into the hype of Paddy Pimblett and he’s been hit a lot in his previous fights. We’ve seen Chandler have guys like Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje on the ropes with his power shots. I didn’t think Pimblett would be able to withstand the power.

Boy, was I wrong about my prediction. Paddy Pimblett did a sensational job of fighting from range and using his kicks. Chandler was never able to find a rhythm on the feet and it showed. Chandler used his wrestling well in the first round but the first round is the only round he saw success.

Pimblett got him down in the second round and completely controlled him. A lead knee busted Chandler open in the third and Pimblett went in for the kill. He took Chandler down and mounted him. After a flurry of elbows, the referee stopped the fight and Chandler suffered a devastating loss at UFC 314.

What’s next after UFC 314?

This is a really tough loss for Michael Chandler. Entering the octagon on Saturday night, he was 2-4 in six fights in the UFC. However, the four losses came against Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Not only was Chandler in every single one of those fights, all four of those fights had moments where it felt like Chandler was close to winning.

Saturday night was a step back in competition and it was supposed to be a fight that got Chandler back on his feet. Instead, he was completely dominated by Paddy Pimblett and now he’s 2-5 inside the octagon and he’s lost three in a row. Chandler dropped to 12th in the rankings and I’m not sure where he goes from here.

I think the next fight for Chandler should be a matchup with Beneil Dariush. Dariush, like Chandler, has lost a couple in a row after being at the very top of the division. Dariush is ranked 10th and it just seems like a good fight for both men with the winner getting back on track and the loser having a lot of questions about their UFC career.