A bout against Paddy Pimblett is a near certainty, says Michael Chandler.
The UFC lightweights are on colllision course according to Chandler, who proclaimed his respect for Pimblett and hopes to meet the 29-year-old in the Octagon "at some point."
"I have a lot of respect for Paddy Pimblett, he and I are very cordial and it’s been documented how I congratulated him after bearing Tony Ferguson [last year]," Chandler told Lucky Block.
"We have a good relationship, but obviously, if we get matched up against each other, the goal is to go out there and inflict bodily harm."
Pimblett is undefeated since making the jump to UFC in 2021, and was last in action at UFC 304 when he earned the performance of the night bonus for his first-round submission victory over King Green. The Liverpool native is ranked 13th on the UFC lightweight chart, with Chandler at No. 7 following his loss to Charles Oliveira last month.
With Pimblett climbing the rankings quickly, Chandler could stand in Briton's way as he tries to continue climbing the ladder.
"Paddy versus myself is gonna happen at some point, I’m not sure when, but that's definitely a fight that interests me," Chandler said. "It's definitely a fight that would be fun for the fans.
"It would make people feel something. Paddy the Baddy, what he stands for, who he is, myself, what I stand for, who I am, both of our fight styles.
"Chandler versus Paddy, it sounds like a fun one, and it will definitely happen. Is it next? I don't know, but it definitely could be. Yeah, that would be absolutely huge."