When Chael Sonnen explained how Paddy Pimblett could potentially "weaponize" his massive weight gain like ex-UFC champion Rich Franklin

In late 2022, Paddy Pimblett was coming off a difficult and controversial win over Jared Gordon. But where others saw a ceiling, Chael Sonnen saw an opportunity. Taking to his YouTube channel, 'The American Gangster' touched on Pimblett's tendency to balloon massively in weight when out of camp.

Sonnen found this habit remarkable given that Pimblett never shows any of the negative signs of being depleted from an extreme weight cut. And if he does experience them, he plays it off well as he's always even-tempered and never seems drained or irritable.

"I watched Paddy this past week, came out last week when he put on an interview with Dana [White]. I'm assuming that was fairly timely. Guy's cutting weight, pulling that kind of weight? Man, it's hard to talk. Your mouth gets dry, it's hard to talk. But then I caught Paddy on Thursday at a press conference. I just didn't see him complaining, I didn't see him dragging around."

This caused Sonnen to compare 'The Baddy' to ex-UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, who he claimed engaged in similar weight-related practices.

"I go back to Rich Franklin. Rich Franklin was the first guy that ever got notoriety for holding down the weight. And Rich used it, so people tell the story as a weapon. He was able to weaponize it. He'd weigh in at 185, he'd get in the ring at 202, he'd be fully hydrated, he'd be feeling great... And I just fast-forward to Paddy because there is something remarkable there, right?"

Check out Chael Sonnen's thoughts on Paddy Pimblett's fluctuating weight (4:29):

The logic behind Sonnen's take is that Pimblett could use his weight to his advantage. He can disarm his detractors who assume he'll suffer negative drawbacks from fluctuating in weight. Moreover, he believes Pimblett is benefiting from the massive size and strength gains he acquires after rehydrating.

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Paddy Pimblett is coming off the biggest win of his career

At UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett faced ex-three-time Bellator lightweight champion and one-time UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler in the co-main event. Despite the prevailing narrative being that 'Iron' would be his toughest test, Pimblett passed with flying colors.

Check out Paddy Pimblett's UFC 314 win:

He dominated Chandler after a competitive round one, battering him on the feet and bullying him in the wrestling and grappling sequences. Ultimately, Pimblett TKO'd Chandler with ground-and-pound in round three to catapult himself into the lightweight top 10.