Paddy Pimblett explains hotel scuffle with ‘Mr Hand Sanitiser’, relief at no longer suffering death-defying weight cuts and how he has matured ahead of UFC London showdown
- Paddy Pimblett is one of the biggest attractions on the UFC London card
- He was involved in an altercation with Ilia Topuria at the fighter hotel
- ‘The Baddy’ threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at him but no punches landed
- Pimblett also opened up on how much he has grown since his early twenties
Paddy Pimblett was in typically ebullient form just three days out from his UFC London clash with Kazula Vargas.
‘The Baddy’ has pledged to blow the roof off the O2 Arena even after Storm Eunice beat him to the punch and reflected on how far he has come.
Pimblett will make his famous cage walk a more mature and experienced man than the 21-year-old who sensationally claimed the Cage Warriors title.
Paddy Pimblett spoke about how he has matured to this point in his MMA career
‘The Baddy’ was involved in a hotel scuffle with Ilia Topuria, who is also fighting on th card
His blistering KO on debut in the UFC announced his arrival at the big show last year but the 27-year-old is a product of his experiences and recognises that they have moulded him into a more balanced athlete.
He said: ‘I do think back to those tough moments, some people who have just watched the UFC think I’m a striker.
‘I’ve been fighting since 16, partying and winning the Cage Warriors title since I was 21.
‘When I look back, it is a good job I lost to Soren Bach, I had proper problems with mental health problems and depression. I had to realise what I had.
‘When I was 21, I acted like Billy Big Bo*****, thought i was better that I was, had people clinging on as I could get people into clubs and things.
Pimblett was full of confidence on Wednesday afternoon
‘Now I keep my circle small, my gym family and my family close. I thought I was someone, king of the world, you lose it and realise who the real ones are.’
He also spoke about how much easier it is fighting at lightweight having previously endured horrendous weight cuts.
Pimblett added: ‘I used to kill myself to make 145, the night before I cut 19 pounds, I was sick in a cage. I’ve been physically pulled in and out of a sauna.
If a doctor had looked at a scan, he’d not have let me fight. I had the testosterone of a two year old boy, nearly reaching acute kidney failure.
‘I don’t kill myself anymore. Not going to lie, after this fight I’m going to get fat.’
On Wednesday evening, Pimblett was involved in a brief scuffle with Ilia Topuria in the fighter hotel and the Georgian, who fights Jai Herbert on Saturday, shared the footage online.
Pimblett is preparing for his highly-anticipated second fight in the UFC on Saturday
Pimblett spoke about the incident and branded Topuira ‘Mr Hand Sanitiser’ after he threw a container of it at his head.
‘I was stood on my own and there was six of them, he stood on the other side of the table because he knows what’s good for them.
‘As soon as he came out of the double doors he snarled me. I wasn’t punching him because I’m not breaking my hand. I bounced a hand sanitiser off his head.
‘I can’t start throwing punches at someone so meaningless. He’s a nobody, Mr Hand Sanitiser.’
Pimblett’s star is on the rise and he could be a force at the top of the lightweight division
There’s never a dull moment with Pimblett but he insisted he is not distracted from the task at hand. The Liverpool fan favourite put it succinctly: ‘I’m the boy, I put bums on seats, people want to watch tele when I’m on it.
‘I don’t try and act like anyone else, what you see is what you get. If you don’t like it, leg it.
‘I’ve always said I want to be the best there is, best there was, best there ever will be. I’ll take another step forward on Saturday night by caving Vargas’ skull in.’
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