paddy pimblettThe return of the UFC did not come under good circumstances.
The rising star found out that one of his friends had taken his own life just a day before his fight against Jordan Leavitt on Saturday’s main card. UFC 208 fight night in London. It was a difficult situation for Pimblett (19-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC), which made it difficult to focus on his opponent.
“I had some horrible news the other day,” Pimblett said. ESPN. “Five hours before the weigh-in, I woke up to find that one of my teammates had committed suicide. It’s been a rough week, to be honest. It has been a very tough week, not only with the fight and the weight cut. I’ve had so many other things.”
Despite the circumstances, Pimblett still managed to maintain his undefeated record in the UFC. He submitted Leavitt in a rear-naked choke in the second round of their lightweight contest.
Pimblett wants to use his platform to raise awareness of mental health among men and encourages men to speak up if they’re struggling.
“I just wish the guys would talk more,” Pimblett said. “You know, women talk to each other all the time if you have something. The boys don’t. They sit there and they bottle it up, and they end up taking their own life, and that’s something you can’t get back. Men just need to talk more. they just need to get it off their chest.”
Pimblett believes that circumstances ultimately affected his performance. But even on a bad day, Pimblett thinks he showed he’s still a force in the division.
“Obviously I know how good I am and on any given day,” Pimblett said. “I can beat anyone, anyone in the rankings. No matter. I can beat anyone, even on a bad day like today, I still did it. I still got in there and mastered it. Well, I didn’t master it at first, but I still think I won the first round and then I made it to the end in the second.”
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie event hub for UFC 208 fight night.
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