Sean O’Malley praises ‘f*cking skilled’ Paddy Pimblett

Sean O’Malley sees big potential in fellow UFC star Paddy Pimblett.

Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) takes on Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in Saturday’s five-round UFC 314 co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Former multiple-time Bellator champion and former UFC title challenger Chandler will mark Pimblett’s sternest test to date. While most are looking at the matchup as more beneficial to Pimblett, ex-UFC bantamweight champ O’Malley thinks Chandler has an equal amount to gain with a win.

“Paddy vs. Michael Chandler is such an interesting fight,” O’Malley said on his “TimboSugarShow” podcast. “Michael Chandler is such a gangster for taking that fight. If he beats Paddy, that’s still a big win – maybe not in some people’s eyes, but Paddy is f*cking skilled. What he did to Bobby Green was super. It’s a big fight.

“Michael Chandler is a beast for taking that fight. Paddy’s a beast. Paddy, what he wants to do is climb the rankings. I think that fight makes so much sense. I don’t know who wins, either. I feel like it’s going to be very competitive. … (Pimblett is) very sharp and he’s very skilled.”

Pimblett entered the UFC’s lightweight rankings after notching a quick, first-round submission of King Green at UFC 304 last July. Chandler on the other hand, has lost four of his past five, and back-to-back to Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.