Paddy Pimblett has plenty more to say when it comes to mental health.
Following his win over Jordan Leavitt at UFC London in June, ‘The Baddy’ put some good into the world by spreading a message on mental health awareness. Pimblett said a few words about his friend who committed suicide the week of his fight and Pimblett said he wished men would talk more about what struggles they are going through.
Paddy’s ‘Proper Rough Patch’
Pimblett has also had his fair share of adversity in his life. The 27 year-old fighter would touch up on his past history at James’ Place, a center in Liverpool for men experiencing extreme depression and suicidal crisis. Pimblett’s story was from 2018, where he lost to Soren Bak at Cage Warriors 96.
“I had a proper rough patch in like 2018,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel. “I got surgery in the May and then a fought in September, shouldn’t have. I fought because I felt like the whole weight of the show was on my shoulders. It was in the Echo Arena. Everyone else would’ve lost out on a payday if I pulled out, so I just fought.
“I still nearly finished them in the first, they were choking. I had this arm under what I’d broke, so I couldn’t get the full strength on the squeeze to finish the rear-naked choke. He got out. I ended up losing a decision.”
How Pimblett Dealt With The Loss And Eventually Overcame His Sadness
The defeat to Bak stayed with Pimblett for not just weeks, but for months. Pimblett eventually overcame the sadness by opening himself up to other people.
“I felt like I’d let everyone down,” Pimblett continued. “I’ll never forget going back into the [changing room] and just crying my eyes out and I was spewing everywhere and it stunk. People were laughing at me. I was crying and then I was just the same for weeks. Every morning, I’d just roll over and start crying every single morning without fail for about three months.
“The only thing what got me through it was talking to people. That saying, ‘get it off your chest’ is one of the best sayings ever. When you do speak to someone, you feel like a weight’s lifted off your shoulders.”
You can watch Paddy Pimblett’s full message on mental health below.
