"In the next couple of years, I expect him to settle down" - Dan Hardy gives his take on Paddy Pimblett's weight situation
Paddy Pimblett is notorious for gaining massive amounts of weight between his fights. 'The Baddy' is a self-confessed food lover who indulges himself after every cage outing.
Pimblett recently snapped back at T.J. Dillashaw after the former bantamweight champion claimed that the Liverpudlian will never be a world champion with such a work ethic.
In a recent interview with Sky Sports, former UFC title challenger and MMA analyst Dan Hardy opined that Paddy Pimblett's habit of gaining weight between his fights will likely slow down with time. 'The Outlaw' noted that Pimblett is young and still in his early 20s. He compared the UFC lightweight to boxer Ricky Hatton, noting that both probably went through a lot of sacrifices in their fight camps.
With that said, Hardy believes that gaining weight might be a coping mechanism to deal with that pressure. However, the Englishman believes that with time, 'The Baddy' might get rid of the habit:
"It's like a pressure release. Ricky used to put himself a lot in his training camps. Sacrifice a lot, diet hard, train hard, Paddy does exactly the same thing. The shape I saw him ahead of UFC London, he looked incredible. I know that his nutritionist works hard to get him in that kind of shape as well. So, for Paddy, he's enjoying the moment. He's a young kid, he's in his early 20s... I think, to be honest, in the next couple of years, I expect him to settle down a little bit."
Watch Dan Hardy talk to Sky Sports about Paddy Pimblett below:
Paddy Pimblett set to return at UFC London against Jordan Leavitt
Pimblett is scheduled to return to the octagon at UFC London as he takes on Jordan Leavitt on July 23. This will be Paddy Pimblett's second straight appearance in front of his home crowd.
'The Baddy' has gotten off to a flying start in his UFC career. In his promotional debut, he earned a first-round knockout win against Luigi Vendramini and stopped Rodrigo Vargas via submission in his sophomore outing in the organization.
With yet another win, this time against fellow prospect Leavitt, 'The Baddy' could further increase the hype surrounding him.
Meanwhile, Jordan Leavitt is on a two-fight winning streak entering the contest against Pimblett. The 27-year-old currently possesses a professional record of 10-1 and is one of the finest prospects in the 155-pound division.
The UFC London card in July will be headlined by a heavyweight showdown between Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall. Liverpudlian superstar Darren Till will make his octagon return against Jack Hermansson in a middleweight co-main bout.