Paddy Pimblett nearly missed UFC 304 due to mental health struggles, but after overcoming significant personal challenges and receiving support from his coach and loved ones, he managed to turn his training around and remains committed to advocating for open discussions about mental health.
Paddy Pimblett nearly didn’t get to fight at UFC 304. His coach considered pulling him from the event because he wasn’t in the right headspace to compete.
Thankfully, things turned around during the latter stages of his training camp. But Pimblett admits there were moments where it felt like nothing was going right.
As upset as he was when his coach suggested not fighting on Saturday, the 29-year-old lightweight prospect realized he needed to correct course. Otherwise, a disastrous outing would be a distinct possibility.
“I knew there was stuff going on externally and stuff going on in my head,” Pimblett said during UFC 304 media day. “Obviously when Paul [Rimmer] said it to me, I was upset. I was not happy with him. I was angry.”
“But obviously he’s my coach, he’s like my second dad. He’s only looking out for my best interests but since that moment, I’ve had one of the best camps I’ve ever had a couple of weeks out.”
“Like I said, four, five, six weeks out, I was thinking oh my god, this is the worst camp of my life and I’m going into arguably my toughest fight.”
“But then the last couple of weeks has just been quality and I’m looking forward to getting into the octagon again and beating this idiot [King Green] up.”
Pimblett speaks often about his own mental health struggles. He serves as an advocate with hopes that more people seek help rather than keeping those feelings bottled up.
On a personal level, Pimblett dealt with a tremendous loss after a close friend committed suicide. This made him really start to examine and identify his own issues.
“Obviously getting it off my chest helps but like it was Ricky’s anniversary two days ago,” Pimblett said. “Been thinking about it a lot more.”
“It’s been bad again lately. Another lad in Liverpool killed himself a couple of weeks ago.”
“A young MMA fighter Connor Hitchens killed himself like three months ago, and he’s younger than me. I just feel like it needs talking about.”
As much as he hopes he’s helping others by speaking out publicly regarding his own mental health, Pimblett erupted after reading some vile comments made towards him after a recent interview.
Pimblett knows those kinds of loathsome reactions often prevent people—particularly men—from seeking necessary help.
“I’ll be honest lads; seeing Sky Sports put that interview up and some of the responses to it are f*cking disgusting,” Pimblett said.
“People saying I’m just doing it for a PR stunt. Like why would I invite pressure on myself like that for a PR stunt? It’s mad.”
“People saying I’m only doing it for that reason when I know several people who have killed themselves.”
“I’ve talked about it in the past. Why would I bring that type of pressure on myself? But again, I do it because I feel like I need to and don’t want more people to kill themselves—especially men.”
“But some of the responses to me saying that are like ‘just kill yourself; you might as well just kill yourself.’ That’s what some of the responses have been.”
Other people have been quoting them and putting ‘no wonder men don’t talk [about mental health] when the responses are like this.”
He knows how dark things could have gotten if he didn’t get help back then.
In fact, those thoughts still creep up unexpectedly.
But now Pimblett knows he has resources available to make it through each day.
“I’ve said before; without Laura (my wife), I’d have taken my life long ago.”
“My family…my team…my mates…when that interview came out yesterday or today…I’ve had about six or seven messages off my mates asking ‘are you all right?'”
“But as I’ve said: feel good again! Feel great again! A couple weeks ago? Getting in touch with Jane from James’ place—mental health support for men—to chat.”
“I got through it,” says Paddy confidently.
Ready for anything now.