Anyone still not sold on Paddy?

[chiefwiggum]

If Paddy beats Poirier then it's because Dustin is washed up and 37 and will have lost 4 of his last 6 fights...

If Paddy beats Gaethje then it's because Gaethje is washed up and 37 and will have lost 4 of his last 8 fights...

If Paddy beats Charles then it's because Charles is washed up and 36 and will have lost 3 out of his last 5 fights

All of those guys are retiring and have been considering retirement for good reason.

 

[surgeyou1]

Anyone that can't tell how much he's improved is either blind or redacted. Chandler landed one take down off a kick and then completely destroyed in every area of MMA.

He's absolutely a top 5 caliber fighter. Big strong grappler with improving striking and natural power. He's not an easy night at the office for anyone.

 

[surgeyou1]

All of those guys are retiring and have been considering retirement for good reason.

Current champ just had a very competitive 5 round fight with Poirier. Dustin is only considering retirement because he doesn't think he will get another title shot. Not that he isn't still an elite LW.

 

[Marko Polo]

LMAO your dumbass asked based on what do people think he's better. Well idiot they have a common opponent and he beat the fuck outta that opponent easier.

Confident in your idiocy. Fascinating.

 

[rjmbrd]

All of those guys are retiring and have been considering retirement for good reason.

Charles has won 13 of his last 15 fights. His two losses are against the current defending world champion and arguable GOAT of his generation and the #1 contender.

He is absolutely not retiring or considering retiring. Why make an absurdly false statement like that?

 

[spinitch]

Paddy has looked very good climbing the ladder. He is a new very welcome challenge at LW. Hope UFC gives him a contender bout. Can argue competition not great but that is part of climbing. He did it and showed up healthy on time.

 

[Alpha_T83]

I'm sold on him. He could be champion. I could see him being Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and even Arman.

But does he beat Islam? Probably not.

 

[mb23100]

He's legit but that last fight said more about Chandler than it did about Paddy imo

 

[savemgs]

Look, man. I’m not here to tear the kid down. The UFC’s wrapping him in bubble wrap and selling him as the next savior, sure—but he’s not the matchmaker. He fights who they hand him, and he wins. So yeah.

 

[muaythaibeast]

He's probably fringe top 5, and I could see him beating guys like Hooker and Gamrot pretty easily, but I'm not sold he beats Charles, Arman or Islam. Charles and Islam especially have the grappling to nullify him and the striking to give him real problems

 

[Superzorro]

People obsess with the 35 up rule. Modern nutrition and training has maintained lots of high level boxers. Mma is no different. It's 40 where their career is usually doomed.

No, it’s not post 40. The drop off usually happens in between 35 and 40. And that’s if you started late. A better way to measure this would be how many years you’ve been competing. But no matter what metric you use, Chandler’s still old. I can remember him fighting in Bellator as a young guy in his 20s, around like 2009. He’s closer to 40 than 35. He’s old. Anyone you see fighting past 36 who hasn’t lost a step, and isn’t a heavy weight, is an anomaly.

 

[Greyscale]

Paddy looks like a typical promotional darling. Wins questionable decisions, gets washed up "big names" like Chandler/Ferguson.

 

[-Sideways-]

Paddy has proven he's legit. Anyone who still doesn't think so is a silly sausage.

 

[maximus__]

I was counting him out but he's really improved. Compared to someone like Bo Nickal who started his ufc career ~year later and I haven't seen anything improved in his game.

100%. He outstruck and outwrestled Chandler and looked great the few times he faced adversity.

He matches up well at 155 with most. Not champ materiel yet, but he will leave the UFC with a winning record.

 

[BangBang]

He's getting better with every fight. He's arriving as a contender at just trh right time. It's now or never.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

I'm sold big time. Never liked his personality, but he's winning me over.

 

[George Carlin]

Yeah I'll be the first to eat all the crow. I was dead wrong about him. Just thought he was another gimmicky flash in the pan who'd get exposed. But to be fair I don't think anyone knew he would improve so drastically cause he was nowhere near this good when he first became popular

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

TBH this LW division has been a revolving door for like 10 years in the top5. For all I know these dudes are all washed and some bum like paddy can beat them all. UFC is in a sad state.

 

[Safton]

Paddy has been steadily making incremental improvements with each appearance. We've been able to see that already. He forced me to eat crow and begrudgingly acknowledge the level of such improvements (particularly in his stand-up) against Bobby Green, who I thought would be a rough stylistic match-up for him. I think what we saw against Chandler was again impressive, albeit still more of the same.

However... all that being said, I think some people need to slow their roll. Dominating Chandler and finishing him at this point isn't really proof positive to me that Paddy's ready for the elites of the division. It shows that he needs a step up and that he might be at that level, though.

I mean let's not forget that in Chandler's last fight he got used as a glorified punching bag and grappling dummy by Oliveira for five rounds and had to foul his way to the only "success" he enjoyed. He was a nearly 40-year-old man who has taken an absurd amount of concussive damage and wear-and-tear and who relies heavily on athleticism/explosiveness for his fighting style to work competing in a weight class that is notoriously unforgiving to old men that have lost those traits. Hell, he came to the UFC in the twilight of his prime and has been fairly hit-or-miss in terms of his resume and questionably competitive with the big names.

Paddy looks good and is being managed well for a prospect. I am excited to see where he goes. I think he has talent and I think there are winnable fights for him ahead, though there are also guys I would pick over him, too. The win over Chandler was a litmus test that showed what he was capable of, but it's one that has to be kept in context.

 

[Portland8242]

Still not convinced. He hasn't fought anyone in their prime. Fought nothing but old men. It's the precise same shit that fooled people into thinking Colby was some world class fighter. He may beat Gaethje who's on the very tail end of his prime if he can some how get it to the ground but I'm still not sure about that.

Topuria, Arman, Islam, Charles? No fucking chance, he gets murdered by them. 37 year old Poirier MAYBE? But I still can't see it.

I may actually pick some lower ranked LW's to beat him too - Fiziev, Gamrot