British UFC star Paddy Pimblett has revealed he was attacked on social media following an interview in which he discussed his recent mental health struggles.
The Liverpudlian, known as ‘Paddy the Baddy’, gave a powerful interview on the Sky Sports MMA Podcast earlier in July, in which he revealed that his trainer almost pulled him from his upcoming fight due to a bout of depression.
The 29-year-old said he had sought help from counsellors and urged others struggling with similar issues to do so, describing men’s mental health problems as “an epidemic”.
After his comments were published on Sky Sports platforms on Wednesday, Pimblett shared screenshots of abuse he has since received on his Instagram account on Thursday.
“No wonder men don’t speak out,” he wrote alongside two examples of vile abuse, one of which referred to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
“I express my feelings and tell men they can talk.
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Pimblett previously spoke out about the abuse he received on social media following his 2022 UFC win over Jared Gordon.
“I’m simply told to kill myself and then I’m told to send me pictures of Scousers dying.
“We need to change this mindset.”
“I need to share this because others don’t.”
Speaking ahead of his fight on Saturday at UFC 304 in Manchester, Pimblett detailed his recent struggles.
“Five or six weeks ago my coach was thinking about pulling me. Mentally I just wasn’t there,” Pimblett said.
“I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m in the best shape of my life at the right time. Everything seems absolutely great at camp.
“It’s crazy because five weeks ago I was like, ‘This is the worst camp of my life, what’s going on here?’
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“A few things went wrong, and even a few weeks ago, there were things that were depressing me personally. A little bit of depression.
“But I have that attitude and that positivity that allows me to turn things around. You know my confidence, so when my coach talked about pulling out, I said, ‘No chance.'”
Pimblett first spoke about his mental health in 2022 after losing a close friend to suicide shortly before his UFC 208 win over Jordan Leavitt.
He left the Octagon in tears after urging men to “get rid of that stigma” in his post-fight interview.
Explaining his reasons for speaking out again, Pimblett said: “I’ve always got a lot going on. Whenever I start to feel negative and feel down, that’s when I feel a little bit down.
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“Mentally, it’s tough. I wasn’t in the best shape I could be five weeks ago. I messaged the place I go to for therapy, and I messaged the woman I’m seeing and said, ‘Can I come see you?’ Just to chat and feel better.
“I need to share this, because others don’t.
“When I raised this issue two years ago, there was an increase in calls to the Samaritans and people speaking out. Recently, there was a boy in Liverpool, who wasn’t my mate but who I had met before – he committed suicide about six weeks ago.
“Just before we started camp about three months ago, another young MMA fighter from the north committed suicide and he was younger than me.
“It’s becoming an epidemic again. I’d rather people talk than commit suicide.
“Because once you kill yourself, it’s over. It’s over. But if you talk to someone and get it out there, you live to fight another day, as they say.”
If you are affected by these issues or would like to discuss them, please contact the Samaritans on the free helpline 116 123, or visit the website www.samaritans.org
