MIAMI – Although Michael Chandler finds himself fighting in the co-main event of UFC 314, he believes his bout is the main attraction.
Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC), a former Bellator champion and UFC title challenger, takes on rising British star Paddy Pimblett this Saturday at Kaseya Center (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). They’ll be setting the stage for Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes, who fight for the vacant featherweight title in the main event.
Yet, despite a title on the line, Chandler sees his bout with Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) as “The People’s Main Event” of UFC 314.
“This is a sport. It’s about wins and loses and rankings, but it’s also about being in fights people care about,” Chandler told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Wednesday’s UFC 314 media day. “This is a fight people care about. Anytime I step inside the octagon, and Paddy steps inside the octagon, people care. People tune in to watch us lose or hopefully win if they’re a fan of us. We both got that. This fight has the makings of ‘The People’s Main Event.'”
Chandler enters on a two-fight losing streak and with only one win in his past five trips to the octagon. The 38-year-old admits that he’s not in the best spot, but he’s not letting that get to him.
“I’ve only had my back up against the wall twice in the UFC,” Chandler said. “The first time was coming into the UFC, my UFC debut. I had everything to gain, but I had a lot to lose. Obviously we saw how I finished Dan Hooker in two-and-a-half minutes. A couple of fights later, I had my back against the wall against Tony Ferguson, who was ranked No. 7, and I was No. 5, and it was a risky situation, and we all saw the KO of the Year. I thrived in these moments, and I believe Saturday night will be very similar to the last two.
“You need to go through struggle. You need to go through setbacks to find out who you are. … Bad things have to happen in order for you to find out exactly who you are, and I don’t even know what kind of streak I’m on or how many days it’s been (without a win). It doesn’t matter. It’s about the journey. It’s so much less about hyper focusing on the wins and the loses and being perfect. I’m just trying to be successful. I’m not trying to be perfect. I’m trying to be successful.”
UFC 314 'Embedded,' No. 3: Diego Lopes, Alexander Volkanovski face off at street art museum
Video: 'UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes' media day live stream
Video: 'UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes' media day live stream
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
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