Last night at UFC 314 in Miami was filled with exciting action, yet the betting outcome wasn't as favorable for former dual-weight champion Conor McGregor, who placed a $500,000 wager on Michael Chandler in his co-main event lightweight bout against Paddy Pimblett.
Massive Wager
U.S. President Donald Trump was among the audience, invited by UFC president Dana White. Elon Musk and his child were seated beside Trump in the front row.
McGregor has not competed in the UFC Octagon since suffering a leg injury in a TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was expected to return against Chandler at UFC 303 last June but had to withdraw weeks prior due to a toe injury. McGregor has been defeated in three out of his last four UFC matches.
The rivalry between McGregor and Chandler remains strong, as the Irishman evidently has respect for Chandler.
Chandler by TKO
"The Notorious is BACK with @Duelbits, baby! I’m callin’ it: Chandler by BRUTAL KO!” McGregor said on X. “I know Paddy has improved his last few outings but I still fancy Chandler to do it. The odds of a knockout are just too tasty at Duelbits (5.00, with a potential boosted payout of $2.5 million).
It's anyone's guess now if McGregor, 36, will ever step into the Octagon and fight again. McGregor is campaigning for President of Ireland (with elections taking place later this year), motivated after a visit to the White House with Trump in March. He has external business ventures – including a new cigar line introduced in February.
Last night, Pimblett overwhelmed Chandler, out-punching and out-wrestling him, securing a TKO victory at 3:07 of Round 3. That marked Pimblett’s seventh straight victory in the UFC (he was -150 compared to Chandler’s +125 at BetMGM before the fight).
“Paddy the Baddy” Prevails
“Paddy the Baddy” will vault into the Top 10 in the UFC’s lightweight division with the win.
“I respect Michael a lot, he’s a great fighter, but I am the new guard, he’s the old guard,” Pimblett said after the fight.
In the main event last night, Alexander Volkanovski won against Diego Lopes by unanimous decision in the featherweight division. Volkanovski has reclaimed the UFC featherweight championship (he entered as the favorite with odds of -145).
Yair Rodriguez won against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire by unanimous decision, delivering a quick right in the third round that knocked Pitbull down.
Jean Silva from Brazil submitted Bryce Mitchell from the USA at 3:52 in Round 2. Silva was the strong favorite in betting beforehand, at -225.
Dominick Reyes delivered a stunning KO with his left hand against Nikita Krylov at 2:24 of Round 1 in a light heavyweight bout. That's three consecutive wins for Reyes now – experiencing a comeback after enduring four straight losses.