Paddy Pimblett’s weight cuts have already become the talk of the mixed martial arts world with just two fights in the UFC.
Following his win over Rodrigo Vargas in London this March, Pimblett went on a much-publicized eating binge that saw the fighter grow from his fight night weight of 155 pounds to 202 pounds, a 47-pound increase in just a matter of weeks.
Speaking with Gary Neville on his Sky Sports show The Overlap, ‘The Baddy’ appeared with his close friend and fellow UFC fighter Molly McCann to talk about Pimblett’s upcoming fight with Jordan Leavitt on July 23rd and his recent weight gain.
“We’ve struggled in the past when we’ve been unprofessional about it,” Pimblett said. “But now we’re very professional about it, so we don’t. People say to me ‘oh, you’re fat,’ and think I struggle, I’ve still got 14.5kg to lose, but that’s nothing. Around six weeks ago, I was 93kg and I fight at 70. That was me being fat.”
Another banger added to #UFCLondon!@theufcbaddy returns to the O2 against Jordan Leavitt on July 23.
Paddy Pimblett brought the party last time out
pic.twitter.com/NaDrIbt79e
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) May 27, 2022
Paddy Pimblett Documents His Insane Post-UFC London Eating Binge
In an episode of the Liverpudlian’s YouTube series ‘BaddyTV’, Pimblett documented his post-UFC London eating including a day where the fighter reportedly consumed nearly 11,000 calories.
Many, including Neville, questioned whether or not the ability to gain and lose weight as he has is sustainable long-term. Paddy Pimblett admitted that at some point, he will likely make an effort to keep his weight at a reasonable rate between fights rather than relying on his ability to cut an extreme amount heading into a bout.
“I might grow up a bit more and actually keep my weight down a bit. I was in America drinking gallons of Coke every day, eating 7,000 calories a day, easy.” The Monday after my fight I got home and I just went for scrans the next day. I went for Nando’s and then I was just eating chocolate all day. I counted my calories and I ate 11,000 calories the Monday after I fought. That was without trying, my cheeks were all like [puffed out]. I’ll do 5kg overnight, I’d do 10lb in a bath overnight.”
Pimblett went on to discuss some of his weight-cutting measures following the excessive gains made after his last appearance.
“We get put in a bath hot, like a sauna, it’s not a nice bath, it’s roasting and when you get out your skin is red. You lie on like a towel as well with sleeping bags, they wrap you in a quilt and you lie there and carry on sweating and you just repeat and repeat until you make weight.”
‘The Baddy’ returns to his home country on July 23rd to face Jordan Leavitt. It will be the UFC’s second appearance in London, the first coming in March where the promotion delivered a critically-acclaimed card loaded with highlight-reel finishes. Many of the fighters scheduled for the March event will return for this month’s highly-anticipated return to the UK.