Paddy Pimblett has two more reasons to succeed ahead of his monumental clash with Michael Chandler.
Paddy Pimblett Highlights Kids as Motivation
Blasting into the UFC almost four years ago, Paddy Pimblett has risen to become one of the most popular fighters on the entire roster. With recent victories over established names in Tony Ferguson and King Green, “The Baddy” now stands as the No. 12-ranked competitor in the 155-lb division. This Saturday, he takes on his most dangerous assignment yet, as he battles former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314.
For most individuals, the promise of further fame and riches for soaring higher into the ranks would serve as a great motivator. What drives Paddy Pimblett to reach further stardom, however, is his desire to provide a better future for his family, including his two twin daughters. In the first episode of the upcoming pay-per-view’s Embedded series, the Englishman opened up about how fatherhood has impacted him and his career.
“It’s changed my life in every way possible to be honest,” Paddy Pimblett began. “I’m up early everyday. I’ve got to put these to bed, every night. To be fair, Laura does most of it, like Laura picks up a lot of the slack. It makes me train harder, you know what I mean?
“You feel like you want to quit, you just think of these, because I’m putting food on the table for these so I’ve trained a lot harder than I used to,” Pimblett continued. “I used to take a lot of stuff for granted. I used to rely on my talent but as the saying goes, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard so I think that’s why people have seen a lot of improvements in me.”
Paddy Pimblett Faces Tough Test in Michael Chandler
Undefeated in his past eight contests, Paddy Pimblett has tussled with some stern opposition over the years, but this weekend he will face a massive step up in competition in the number eight-ranked Chandler. A longtime veteran of the sport, “Iron” has also grown to become a massive fan-favorite athlete under the UFC banner, boasting five performance bonuses across his six promotional fights.
He has also crossed paths with many championship-caliber adversaries during his time as a title holder himself and as a top contender in the UFC like Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira, twice.
Other than possessing a wealth of experience competing against the absolute best of the best, Chandler also has fought in a bevy of five-round matches, compared to Paddy Pimblett, who will be entering his first one at UFC 314. It’s unknown at this time how the streaking European’s’ gas tank will hold up after 25 minutes, but it’s without question that Chandler still presents the biggest challenge that “The Baddy” has faced to date.
