Chael Sonnen: Paddy Pimblett 'right two fights' away from title shot, suggests Michael Chandler next

Chael Sonnen has changed his tune on Paddy Pimblett’s potential.

From nothing more than a fan-favorite name to now a potential UFC champion, Sonnen’s outlook on the English star has changed dramatically following his latest win in the octagon. Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) picked up a vicious, first-round technical submission win over veteran Bobby Green on Saturday on the main card of UFC 304 in Manchester, England.

“I used to believe that Paddy was a regional fighter,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast. “What do I mean by that? He can sell a lot of tickets in a specific venue, so keep bringing him to that geographic location. You can’t main event the guy, you can’t five-round him, you can’t move him up the rankings too fast. But bring in the right opponent, and we’re going to have some fun for three or four years. I don’t see Paddy that same way anymore.”

Pimblett is on an eight-fight winning streak and has yet to lose in the UFC. The former Cage Warriors champion most recently lost in 2018. Given his current run, Sonnen doesn’t think Pimblett is far from a title shot. In fact, he thinks the 30-year-old needs just two more wins.

“Paddy is two fights away – they’ve got to be the right two fights – but he is two fights away to fighting for a world championship,” Sonnen said. “And I don’t just mean that Dana (White) would sign the match. I mean that guys like (me) would be telling the (MMA) community, ‘This is the right matchup.’ Look through the rankings and eventually you’re going to come to a guy called Michael Chandler. And if Michael Chandler does not get the fight with Conor (McGregor), this, to me, looks like the perfect replacement.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.