Paddy Pimblett dodged a disaster. The UFC lightweight star shared a scary story from his time fighting at 145 pounds in Cage Warriors. A brutal weight cut for a 2017 title defense pushed him close to kidney and liver failure, making his DEXA scan a lesson at the UFC Performance Institute.
Pimblett’s Weight Cut Ordeal
Pimblett opened up on his YouTube channel, saying:
“That cut was disgusting. The [Julian Erosa weight cut] was bad, and then the one after, I fought Nad Narimani to defend my [Cage Warriors] belt. I ended up eventually losing that fight, but when I had cut weight and I was on weight I went to get a DEXA scan at the university in Liverpool.”
He added, “A couple of days after, the doctor looked at it and said, ‘If I would’ve seen this before the fight, I wouldn’t have let you fight.’ I was like one pound away from kidney failure and something with my liver. He said I had no testosterone in my body. He said, ‘If I would have looked at that I would have said you are not fighting.’”
😳🩸Paddy Pimblett almost lost a kidney after a weight cut early in his career:
“I ended up eventually losing that fight. When I’d cut weight and I was on weight I went to get a DEXA scan.
A couple of days after, the doctor looked at it and said… that I was a pound away from… pic.twitter.com/fM8ZkaHg14
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) July 21, 2025
Pimblett later learned his case is a cautionary tale.
“I only found out recently a year or two ago that the DEXA scan is used in the PI to tell people how not to cut weight. It doesn’t say it’s me, but I found out that it’s me. I’m the example of how not to cut weight!”
Paddy Pimblett, 30, has a 23-3 MMA record. He won the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2016 against Johnny Frachey, defending it until losing to Nad Narimani in 2017. Joining UFC in 2021, he’s 7-0, with his latest win a third-round submission over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 on April 12, 2025, in Miami.
His career has bumps. Extreme weight cuts and post-fight weight gains, like 40 pounds after UFC 314, spark debate. He’s never missed the 155-pound limit, but his featherweight health scare led him to lightweight, where cuts are less dangerous but still tough.
The 2017 cut for the Narimani fight at Cage Warriors 82 on March 24 was brutal. Pimblett’s DEXA scan showed he was one pound from kidney failure, with liver issues and no testosterone. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, ending his featherweight run.
Now at lightweight, Pimblett handles cuts better but gained to 198 pounds after UFC 314. His scan is now used at the UFC Performance Institute to teach safer weight-cutting methods. As a top-10 lightweight, his health choices could shape his path to a title shot.
Pimblett’s story warns fighters about dangerous cuts. His near-miss with serious health issues pushes him to manage his body better. With a possible UFC London fight in March 2026, he aims to keep climbing the ranks.
