Daniel Cormier explains Michael Chandler’s immense pressure

Daniel Cormier believes Michael Chandler has the most to lose at UFC 314.

Former Bellator champion Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) takes on Paddy Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) in Saturday’s five-round co-headliner (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Kaseya Center in Miami. Cormier argues that Chandler’s four losses in the UFC came to to big names and former champions. But if Chandler loses to rising contender Pimblett, Cormier says that would set him back in a big way.

“I asked you earlier if the most pressure was on Volk, it’s not, and I said I believe Chandler has more pressure,” Cormier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “You want me to tell you why? Michael Chandler has found himself in a very, very hard-to-reach bit of company. He’s that guy that, win or lose, nothing really affects him, right? If he wins, people go, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ Knocked out Dan Hooker, kicked Tony Ferguson in the face. If he loses – man, him and Charles Oliveira, he had him. It was this close, about to become the champion, Charles got him.

“Eh, not that big of a deal. Him and Dustin Poirier, he loses. ‘Oh, that was a great fight,’ but Dustin got the job done, submitted him. He fought Justin Gaethje, that was a tremendous fight, but Gaethje won. Charles Oliveira, he stood up with him and slammed him backwards. What I’m getting at, Chael, is Michael Chandler has fought in the UFC six times. He’s won twice. If he loses again, now you’re not losing to Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira. You’re losing to the next generation. You cannot lose to the next generation guy.”

After waiting more than a year to fight Conor McGregor – a matchup that was booked for UFC 303 last June but scrapped when McGregor withdrew – Chandler moved on by running things back with Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 this past November. He lost the bout by unanimous decision.

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