Paddy Pimblett has gone viral after being praised by fans for saving his life after speaking out about men’s mental illness earlier this year.
The 27-year-old dedicated his victory over Jordan Leavitt at London’s O2 Arena in July to his friend Ricky, whose death he learned of just hours before the fight.
For the first part of the online series UFC 282 CombinedPimblett was approached and praised by Grant Edmond for his speech at a meet and greet in Las Vegas, and was visibly moved by his gestures.
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Paddy Pimblett was close to tears after a fan told the UFC star that his speech about mental health at UFC London in July saved his life.
“That means more than any fight, someone telling me they didn’t kill themselves because of what I said,” Pimblett said. UFC Combined. “It’s getting here.”
Edmond also explained what happened to him, explaining why he wanted to thank the Liverpudlian MMA fighter in front of them.
“I’ve been going through a tough time this year and I was suicidal, and Paddy’s message on the pitch about his friend who died saved my life,” said Edmond. UFC Combined.
“I just wanted to say thank you to him.”
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Nik Hobbs chats with UFC’s Paddy Pimblett ahead of his fight with Jared Gordon in Las Vegas. The two discuss the video with the confusion of the dog, Molly McCann and the light layout.
In August, Pimblett said Sky Sports “people with platforms should try to help” as he talks candidly about how he’s been overwhelmed by the backlash since speaking out about men’s health after his partner’s suicide.
“I feel that people in a position like me with a platform should try to help people,” Pimblett said. “It’s good to be nice and I’m holding the mic and saying that there’s no money in the interview.
“I’ve had so many messages, people saying ‘without you, I wouldn’t be here.’ Messages like that will mean more than any success, someone saying, ‘I didn’t kill myself last night because of what you said’.
“It’s not something I wanted to do. I just wanted to go and fight. I like to be beaten and beat people and entertain at the same time, that’s what I do best.
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Paddy Pimblett refuses to call anyone for a future fight and believes he can beat anyone in the top fifteen of the lightweight division.
But there are great things in the world that are not talked about and I just thought I would mention some. There is a purpose other than just fighting.
“It’s not just Ricky, several guys in Liverpool have killed themselves. Some I know, some I don’t know. That’s what I’ve seen recently. You see it all over social media. It hit me hard. A ton of bricks when it happened with Ricky.
“I hadn’t seen him for two or three months. I won’t sit here and say he was one of my best friends, but he was a friend I knew and when I saw him out and about, we’d stop there for 15 minutes and talk.”
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