Paddy Pimblett sends powerful mental health message after losing friend to suicide the day before fighting at UFC London
Paddy Pimblett is known for his wacky hairdo, wild personality and fun fight style - but on Saturday night he shared a serious, important message after his latest UFC win.
‘The Baddy’ survived a tough opening round against Jordan Leavitt, who many regarded as his toughest test to date, before picking up a second round submission victory.
During his post-fight interview with UFC legend Michael Bisping, the 27-year-old revealed that he received some devastating news the day before the biggest fight of his life at the O2 Arena in London.
“I woke up on Friday morning at 4am to a message that one of my friends back home had killed himself. This was five hours before weigh-in. So, Ricky, lad, that’s for you,” Pimblett said.
The UFC star used his moment in the spotlight to encourage men struggling with their mental health to speak up and seek help when they need to.
“There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk. Listen, if you’re a man and you’ve got weight on your shoulders and think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone! Speak to anyone,” Pimblett continued.
“I know I’d rather my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So, please let’s get rid of this stigma and men, start talking!"
Pimblett thinks the circumstances surrounding his fight negatively impacted his performance against Leavitt but he's happy that even on an off night he was able to get the win, move to 3-0 in the UFC and prove he is a genuine lightweight prospect .
“Obviously, I know how good I am. I know on any given day I can beat anyone. Anyone in the rankings. It doesn’t matter who you are. I can beat anyone, even on a bad day like today, I still done it,” Pimblett told ESPN post-fight at UFC London.
“I still got in there and dominated. Well, I didn’t dominate him at the start, but still think I won the first round, and then I got the finish in the second.”
At this point, it really does seem like the sky is the limit for Pimblett, who is quickly becoming one of the biggest stars in the sport as he captivates fans with his epic fighting ability and charismatic personality.
Pimblett later opened up further about his own mental health struggles to Adam Catterall in a moving interview.
Pimblett urged men to get things off their chest and revealed how he had coped by seeking help.
He spoke through tears as he expressed his sadness at not enough being done to help men who are struggling and the stigma surrounding male mental health issues.
(Campaign Against Living Miserably) for help and support – their helpline and Webchat is open 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year. Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org.