UFC 314 Gets Michael Chandler-Paddy Pimblett Co-Main, Patricio Freire Debut

The UFC 314 card will have plenty of depth.

In the evening’s co-headliner, Michael Chandler will lock horns with Paddy Pimblett in a five-round, non-title affair. Meanwhile, former Bellator featherweight champ Patricio Freire will make his promotional debut against Yair Rodriguez in another featured clash. UFC CEO Dana White announced the pairings on Wednesday night. UFC 314 takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami on April 12 and is headlined by a showdown for the vacant featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.

Multiple other bouts, some previously reported, were also confirmed for UFC 314: Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates at welterweight; Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes at light heavyweight; Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson at featherweight; Xiaonan Yan vs. Virna Jandiroba at strawweight; Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper at lightweight; Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa at featherweight; Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk at middleweight; Mitch Raposo vs. Su Mudaerji at flyweight and Alberto Montes vs. Robert Romero at featherweight.

Chandler has lost four of his last five UFC bouts. After spending two years on the sidelines waiting for a Conor McGregor fight that never came to fruition, the ex-Bellator star returned at UFC 309, where he lost a rematch against Charles Oliveira via unanimous decision.

A former Cage Warriors champion, Pimblett has kicked off his UFC tenure with six straight triumphs. “The Baddy” earned a signature triumph at UFC 304, when he submitted Bobby Green in the opening stanza this past July.

Freire, 37, was perhaps the most accomplished fighter in Bellator history, as he enjoyed multiple reigns atop the 145-pound weight class. He last appeared at Bellator Champions Series Belfast, where he defeated Jeremy Kennedy via third-round TKO. Since then, “Pitbull” lobbied repeatedly for his release from the PFL before his request was granted, clearing the way for the Brazilian to sign with the UFC.

Rodriguez will enter the matchup with Freire on a two-bout skid. After falling to Alexander Volkanovski via third-round TKO in a featherweight title bout at UFC 290, “El Pantera” was submitted by Brian Ortega in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 237.