Michael Chandler not concerned about Paddy Pimblett's submission threat

Michael Chandler recently spoke to renowned MMA interviewer Helen Yee, to whom he expressed a general lack of concern regarding Paddy Pimblett's Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills. 'The Baddy' is widely regarded as a high-level grappler with a high finishing rate on the mat.

However, Chandler, a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion and one-time UFC lightweight title challenger, doesn't fear Pimblett's eye for submissions. So, when Yee asked him about Pimblett's recent assertion that 'Iron' wouldn't pursue takedowns against him out of concern, Chandler dismissed them.

"If anything, you can roll back the tape from the last fight. I just went 25 minutes with the world's most decorated BJJ guy in the UFC, who has the record for most submission wins in the UFC. So, I'm not afraid of being submitted. I'm not afraid of Paddy's jiu-jitsu. I think he's skilled in the jiu-jitsu area, but, you know, we'll see."

Check out Michael Chandler's thoughts on Paddy Pimblett's grappling (5:15):

Chandler does have a point. His most recent outing at UFC 309, a lopsided loss to Charles Oliveira, who just so happens to be the deadliest submission specialist in UFC history, saw him make it to a decision. This, he did, despite being thoroughly outwrestled by 'do Bronx' at various points.

Yet, even the ample control time Oliveira racked up never gave him enough of an opening for a submission. While Pimblett is a dangerous submission specialist in his own right, he is no Oliveira, at least not yet. He'll need to score 13 more submissions in the promotion to even match 'do Bronx's' run of form.

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Michael Chandler has only ever been submitted once

In 32 professional MMA fights, Michael Chandler has only ever lost once via submission. That defeat occured in his 31st fight, when he took on bitter rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. The bout was a competitive affair, with both men having moments on the feet.

Check out Dustin Poirier submitting Michael Chandler:

However, after Chandler secured a high-crotch single-leg in round three, slamming Poirier on the mat, 'The Diamond' scrambled to a better position. In the end, he got Chandler's back and sunk in a rear-naked choke to force a tap from 'Iron' for the first time in his career.