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UFC fighter appeals to men in emotional post-match tribute to friend who killed himself: ‘Start talking’

July 24, 2022 | | Print Article

During  a post-match interview inside the octagon that has gone viral, a mixed martial arts fighter provided a heartfelt tribute to a close friend who took his own life, and in so doing, raised awareness about the need for men to open up about their psychological or emotional issues.

UFC London winner Paddy Pimblett, 27, began his inspirational remarks by dedicating his victory to a four-year-old boy who sadly died of a rare form of cancer, “I want to dedicate this fight to little baby Lee, little warrior. More of a fighter than any of us will ever be.”

The Liverpool resident then made a dedication to another close friend, and in so doing, delivered a powerful message encouraging men (who tend to be guarded about their feelings) with mental health challenges to seek help rather than suffer in silence

“I woke up on Friday morning, 4 a.m., to a message that one of my friends back home had killed himself. This was five hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky, lad, that’s for you,” Pimblett said.

“There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk,” he continued as he received an ovation from the crowd in attendance. “Listen: If you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone. People would rather — I know I’d rather — my mate cry on my shoulder rather than go to his funeral next week. So please, let’s get rid of this stigma. And men, start talking.”

The short video clip shared by the UFC Twitter account alone has received about seven million views and 154,000-plus likes as of this writing.

Watch/listen:

Paddy “the Baddy” Pimblett, who currently fights in the lightweight category, defeated Jordan Leavitt by submission in the second round of the bout that occurred at the Saturday evening U.K. event. As a professional fighter, Pimblett has an overall record of 19-3 (3-0 in the UFC).

“Pimblett said he would like to fight again before the end of the year, most likely in Las Vegas,” ESPN reported.

The response to Pimblett’s plea received an overwhelming positive response on social media.

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