“I’m a fan of Paddy.” That’s what Michael Chandler says. But you know who else is a fan? A couple of UFC veterans aren’t exactly buying what the former Bellator champ is selling ahead of UFC 314. With fight night creeping up, the experts are talking, and it sounds like Liverpool’s favorite son might just be the one to watch.

On a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, UFC vet Josh Thomson and legendary referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy made it painfully clear that Chandler might be in for a rough night. “I mean, I don’t know how I see that. I honestly don’t know. I’m leaning more towards Paddy Pimblett, to be honest.” Thomson admitted as if Chandler fans weren’t already sweating. McCarthy quickly co-signed, “So am I.”

McCarthy elaborated on why Chandler could be in trouble against Paddy Pimblett in Miami. “Let’s be honest, Paddy on his feet is pretty good. He’s got more clean standup than Chandler. Chandler is very linear, he comes straight in, straight back. He doesn’t circle out, he does a lot of things that you look at and go, ‘man, you’re putting yourself in a position to be hit.'”

In other words, the former Bellator champ moves like he’s stuck on rails, predictable, straight-line aggression with no sidesteps. Pimblett? Far more fluid. And if that wasn’t enough, McCarthy doubled down. “Paddy’s not—everyone puts him in this position of ‘he’s not a good fighter.’ He’s a good fighter. To sit there and say Paddy Pimblett is not a good fighter, you’re just lying.”

So, does anyone have Chandler’s back in this one? Surprisingly, yes. And it might not be who you’d expect. Ironically, the same person backing Chandler just brushed off Pimblett as a potential opponent for his own retirement fight, declaring it’s ‘legends only.’ Any guesses?

Did Michael Chandler just get a backhanded endorsement?

Dustin Poirier might not be sending Chandler Christmas cards anytime soon, but even ‘The Diamond’ has to admit the guy can fight. “Even though he’s a bi–h, Chandler all day. Go heavy on the money,” Poirier posted on X when asked about his UFC 314 prediction. But hey, at least Chandler has one believer, even if it comes with a side of disrespect.

Poirier and Chandler had their own beef back at UFC 281, where Poirier locked in a third-round submission win. Since then, the jabs have kept flying. And while ‘The Diamond’ is backing Chandler, he couldn’t resist shutting down a fan who suggested Pimblett might take the win by submission. “Nope,” Poirier responded flatly. “I just hope both teams have fun.” The undertone? Chandler gets the nod, but let’s not act like this is fight-of-the-year material.

With three losses on the trot against Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira, Chandler’s UFC record sits at 2-4. Not exactly legendary numbers. At 38 years old, he’s on thin ice, and a loss to Pimblett would pretty much throw him into gatekeeper territory. Chandler’s all-gas, no-brakes mentality makes him a must-watch fighter. Thrilling, explosive, and completely unpredictable. But that same relentless aggression? It’s also his biggest downfall. Just ask Oliveira, who weathered Chandler’s storm in their first outing at UFC 262 before turning the tide and finishing him in the second round to clinch the 155lbs gold.

Or even Poirier, who endured Chandler’s non-stop pressure at UFC 281, only to seize an opening and secure a third-round submission. The pattern is clear, Chandler starts fast, but when he can’t close the show early, things tend to go downhill. His 11 knockout wins prove his power, but if the fight drags on, the momentum often shifts against him.

Then there’s the controversy. Michael Chandler’s fight with the Louisiana native wasn’t just an all-out war. It was a rulebook nightmare. Poirier accused him of fish hooking, strikes at the back of the head, and other fouls, accusations Chandler insisted were accidental. “I will admit his mouth was open, and my hand went inside of there and was on his mouthpiece,” Chandler explained after UFC 281. “He bit down, I was trying to pull it out.”

Intentional or not, it didn’t do his reputation any favors. And let’s not forget UFC 309, where Chandler hurt ‘Do Bronx’ in the fifth round but nearly finished him with yet another barrage of illegal shots to the back of the temple, yet somehow, he walked away unpunished. So, Chandler doesn’t just fight hard, he fights on the edge of chaos. Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett is cruising at 6-0 in the UFC, fresh off wins over King Green and Tony Ferguson.

Critics have long questioned his level of competition, but if he starches Chandler? That conversation changes really fast. So, will Chandler’s experience be the deciding factor, or is the ‘Weighing In’ panel onto something by backing Pimblett? One thing’s for sure, UFC 314’s co-main event is shaping up to be unmissable. And if Michael Chandler takes the L? Hey, at least he’s still a fan of Paddy. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!