Paddy Pimblett continues to eat criticism from other UFC fighters over his habit of ballooning up in weight between bouts.
“The Baddy” is set to fight Jared Gordon on December 10th at UFC 282. To make the lightweight limit of 156 pounds, Pimblett claimed in a recent YouTube video that he had to lose 50 pounds. It’s all because he has a habit of binge eating following wins. 10,000 calorie days are not unusual for this man.
On a new episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, bantamweight fighter Sean O’Malley discussed those habits, and how they’re common to fighters in the MMA community.
“Dude, the reason Paddy ‘The Baddy’ gets as big as he is because it’s like you get this mental disorder,” O’Malley said. “I eat strict as f— for about ten weeks before the fight. Like I would have a cheat meal on a Saturday, but the closer I got to the fight, four five weeks out, I was just eating so clean. To where right after, it’s like I would order two cheeseburgers, f—ing some appetizers, and just eat until I’m so uncomfortable and in so much pain.”
“Paddy’s — and who am I to say — I just know it’s just not good for you,” he continued. “He gets up to 200 pounds. That’s like me getting up to 190 or 185. It’s sad. But it gives you this mental disorder from eating.”
Joe Rogan pulled up a video from Michael Easter citing a study done on rapid weight loss. The study took a group of men and starved them for six months, and following the study many of the men developed binge eating issues.
“It’s so true. Every fighter will sit here and say the same thing,” O’Malley said. “After a fight, you cut a lot of weight and you make weight, and even me, I eat real clean leading up to a fight. But I see fighters at the breakfast buffet eating pancakes and sh—y food on fight day because they made weight, after weigh-ins that night they’re eating sh—y.”
While Paddy Pimblett will happily sensationalize his weight gain and loss between fights, he recently claimed the whole idea of him having an eating disorder was overblown.
“I don’t actually cut 50lbs from start of camp come on ppl,” he wrote in a comment on an Instagram video calling his behavior unhealthy. “I started my diet Monday the 24th October and was 87.6kg which is 193lbs yous are all blowing this out of proportion badly. I just carry the weight in my cheeks.”
Mind you, his YouTube channel has a video titled ‘DROPPING 50LBS FOR UFC 282!!!’ Another video showed Pimblett stepping on the scale above 200 pounds. So take his denials with a pinch of salt.