Michael Chandler has been told to avoid grappling with Paddy Pimblett by a teammate who’s more than aware of the talent the Englishman possesses.

It seems a very long time since Pimblett made his Cage Warriors debut with Conor McGregor watching on, with the Scouser now on the cusp of a world title shot.

At UFC 314, inside the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, USA, Pimblett will likely do everything in his power to wrap his arms around his opponent’s neck.

With that in mind, Chandler will have to make sure he’s ever present of the submission threat in front of him.

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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

During a trip to the United Kingdom, Gilbert Burns rolled with Paddy Pimblett, and came to the conclusion that the Brit is a phenomenal grappler, which is high praise considering the fact that ‘Durinho’ is a former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion.

With that in mind, he’s advised his teammate, Michael Chandler, to steer clear of entering his opponent’s territory.

On an episode of UFC Embedded, the Brazilian explained: “Michael is ready, he’s facing a guy that’s very tough. I had the honor to grapple with Paddy when I was in Manchester; the guy has very high-level grappling.

“So, the key for Michael is to keep the fight on the feet. If he has to grapple, he has to take him down, take him down and ground and pound him, we don’t want to grapple the grappler.”

While many believe Pimblett’s best route to victory against Chandler is via submission, not everybody is of that opinion.

One MMA star is convinced the Scouser can get the job done against the American with his hands.

Having watched ‘Iron’ up close, the icon believes he’s seen some weaknesses in the former Bellator King’s game.

The UFC champion explained why he thinks Pimblett will knock Chandler out.

Gilbert BurnsMichael ChandlerPaddy PimblettUFCUFC 314