Paddy Pimblett is oozing confidence as he prepares for the biggest fight of his MMA career.
‘The Baddy’ is set to square off against Michael Chandler in the UFC 314 co-main event on April 12.
A win would make Paddy Pimblett 7-0 in the Octagon and edge him closer to a fight with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who is almost universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA today.
The Englishman believes that this time next year, he’ll be in line to face Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s protégé.
- READ MORE: Who is Paddy Pimblett? Get to know the ‘baddy’ of MMA who is making his presence felt in UFC
Paddy Pimblett predicts quick finish at UFC 314
Pimblett has no issues about fighting for five rounds for the first time in MMA’s premier league.
That’s mainly because he doesn’t think Chandler will survive more than 10 minutes at UFC 314.
“When I got asked to do a five-round fight, they were not sure if I would say yes,” Pimblett told TNT Sports.
“But, yeah, obviously, as he is getting finished in two, it does not matter how many it’s scheduled for. Everyone can expect a finish come April 12.”
Pimblett believes beating Chandler will put him within touching distance of a 155lb title shot.
He added: “The plan is to beat Michael Chandler, then fight again in Abu Dhabi in October.
“Hopefully, I get to fight someone in the top four, top five, and then I can ask for a title shot in 2026.”
UFC 314 takes a big hit
On Saturday night, during UFC Mexico City, it was announced that Pimblett’s fight card has taken a hit.
Thankfully, the vacant featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, which will headline the UFC’s return to Miami, is still intact.
However, the scheduled welterweight bout between fan favorite knockout artist Carlos Prates and Geoff Neal is off UFC 314.
On Sunday morning, Prates broke his silence after an injury to Neal forced him off the next UFC pay-per-view.
The cigarette-smoking 170lb contender didn’t seem too downheartened by his fight being scrapped.
“News and good news coming soon!” Prates revealed on Instagram.
It’s currently unclear what Prates is referring to, but it seems that he won’t be sidelined for long.