Paddy Pimblett was almost brought to tears by a fan who credited a post-fight interview he made for saving his life.
UFC star Pimblett, 27, pleaded for men to speak out about their mental health struggles in an emotional speech following his win against Jordan Leavitt in July. 'The Baddy' explained how one of his friends took their own life just one day before his fight, whilst also dedicating his win to the late Baby Lee Hodgson who passed away at the age of four.
Ahead of Pimblett's fight against Jared Gordon this Saturday at UFC 282, the Liverpudlian took part in a meet and greet with fans at the Culture Kings store in Las Vegas. Grant Edmond, a fan of Pimblett's, thanked the UFC star for his post-fight speech and admitted it saved his life.
"Paddy I want to tell you that your video about the suicide thing saved my life, that's why I'm still here" the fan told Pimblett before later adding: "I have gone through a rough year and I was very suicidal. Paddy's message when he was in the ring after he won talking about his buddy who passed away, saved my life. I just wanted to say thank you to him, I appreciate him very much and I'm so glad to meet him."
Pimblett was visibly touched by the fan's words as he said: "That means more than any fight ever will, someone telling me they didn't kill themselves because of what I said. It gets you here [the heart]." In a mission to combat the stigma around men’s mental health, Pimblett has a charity called 'The Baddy Foundation' which also tackles food insecurity in his hometown.
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The Baddy' insisted more should be done about men's mental health, telling Pub Talk : "There's still not enough help, I said that after my last fight and there are still people in my city killing themselves left right and centre. A lad called Frank who took his own life two months ago, he was a promising DJ and he had a son who just turned two. His son probably won't even remember him."
Mental health has also been a battle for Pimblett during his fighting career, as he "cried for three months" while contemplating suicide after losing his Cage Warriors title in 2017. Pimblett held the lightweight belt for less than a year before losing it to Nad Narimani, with the loss being even tougher to take as it took place in his hometown.
