Midnight Mania: Baddy Blames ‘Starvation Mode’ For Post-Fight Blow Ups

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At 29 years of age, Paddy Pimblett is one of the more noteworthy newcomers to the UFC Lightweight Top 15.

Since the inception of his UFC career, Pimblett’s championship ambitions have been met with equal parts hype and doubt. Nobody can deny Pimblett quickly built up a large group of supporters, but even in victorious fights, “The Baddy” showed issues in his striking defense. His undefeated UFC run nearly fell apart against Jared Gordon, but the Englishman was lucky to walk away with the judges’ decision.

Still, Pimblett managed to dominate a longtime contender in Bobby Green, strangling “King” unconscious in the very first round (watch it). It was a surprising upset and solid evidence that Pimblett might just found real success at the top level of the Lightweight division.

Not all questions are answered, however. Pimblett has a bad reputation for swelling up in weight massively after his fights, which has fans and fighters alike concerned about his longevity at the weight class and in the sport. According to Pimblett, however, this is due to “starvation mode” after his weight cuts rather than a simple poor diet.

“Now I’m just back to my normal weight,” Pimblett said on the StillTalkingShow (via MMAJunkie). “I’m walking around at 88kgs (194 pounds). Where after a fight week, I end up going up to about 95kg (209.4 pounds) or something, 93 (205). It’s just where you have depleted your body. It holds onto everything.

“Where I’ve half put it in starvation mode for the week making weight. Your body holds on to everything. So, as soon as I have salty stuff, it just holds the water onto me. That’s why I look bloated, and I look fat. It’s my cheeks. It’s just bloated. It’s just because I go overboard, I’ll be honest.”

I don’t want to defend Pimblett’s eating habits fully, but there is some basis in truth to his statement. Water retention after a salty meal can equate to a lot of weight for a muscular athlete like Pimblett, and there are indeed pictures floating around of him with a puffy face and abs.

Currently, Pimblett remains unbooked. There are rumors that he’ll compete at the next UFC London event scheduled for March 22, but nothing is confirmed.

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