I was 0.2 kilo from kidney failure, one kilo from dying - Paddy Pimblett talks about weight cut that almost killed him
Paddy Pimblett has opened up about the weight cut that almost killed him a few years back. At this week’s media day ahead of UFC Fight Night 204, ‘The Baddy’ suggested he’s much healthier competing in the lightweight (155-pound) division rather than at featherweight (145-pound).
Pimblett alluded to the time he vomited inside the cage after his Cage Warriors featherweight title fight against Julian Erosa in 2016. In that regard, ‘The Baddy’ revealed that he used to ‘kill’ himself to make 145 pounds. Pimblett said:
“The night before, I’d cut 19 pounds in a bath, in a sauna. That night of, that morning, when I had to go out – the extra two hours to go and make weight – I couldn’t get in and out of the sauna. I got physically pulled in the sauna and pulled out the sauna. I’ll never forget [coach] Adam saying, ‘If he dies, it’s not on me.’”
He continued:
“And when I fought, I had to cut like 7.7 kilo overnight, which is about 16-17 pound. And I got a DEXA scan that day, and I went and got a DEXA scan the other day. And they can cross-reference them; compare them over. And he said, if a doctor would’ve looked at that DEXA scan, he wouldn’t have let me fight the next day. I was 0.2 kilo away from acute kidney failure and one kilo of water weight away from dying.”
Additionally, ‘The Baddy’ claimed that his testosterone levels dropped as low as that of a two-year-old boy.
Nevertheless, Pimblett added that he still went five rounds against Erosa, ate a few big shots and didn’t get finished. The 27-year-old believes he won’t get finished in a fight now, as he’s fighting at a much healthier weight.
Watch Paddy Pimblett’s media day segment in the video below:
Paddy Pimblett vows to showcase a “different version” of himself at UFC London
Paddy Pimblett is set to face Rodrigo Vargas in a lightweight bout at UFC Fight Night 204 aka UFC London on March 19. Speaking to BT Sport ahead of his fight, ‘The Baddy’ revealed that he has added Taekwondo to his MMA arsenal.
Indicating that he’s excited to fight again after a long layoff, he has promised to display an improved version of himself at UFC London. Pimblett said:
"Yous are gonna see an even different version of me. People think they know me, people think they know me from the last fight, lad, I'm a complete new animal again. People forget I'm only 27... I'm still getting better every fight camp, especially when I take six months out."
Watch: Paddy Pimblett talk about his next fight.