Paddy Pimblett

Paddy Pimblett is an English mixed martial arts fighter. Born in Liverpool, Pimblett made his professional debut back in 2012 when he was 17 years old.

He began training in mixed martial arts when he was around 15 years old, joining Next Generation MMA and deciding to pursue a career in the the sport shortly afterwards.

Pimblett made his pro debut in 2012 as a teenager, notching up a 3–0 record before signing with Irish-owned promotion Cage Warriors a year later.

He won the Cage Warriors featherweight championship in 2016 and defended it once before losing it and moving up to lightweight.

Pimblett made his UFC promotional debut in a fight against Luigi Vendramini in September 2021 at UFC Fight Night 191, winning via knockout in the first round.

So, what do we know about Paddy’s journey to becoming the talented MMA fighter he is today? This is his story.

Early Life, Parents And Upbringing

Paddy Pimblett (full name: Patrick Mark Pimblett) was born on 3 January 1995 in Huyton in Liverpool, England to parents Mark and Jackie.

Not a huge amount is known about Paddy’s early years and upbringing in Liverpool. However, Pimblett has spoken out regularly about his pride at coming from Liverpool, and he has vowed to give back to the city as his career develops.

“I’m from Liverpool,” Pimblett said back in March 2022. “My city keeps me grounded. I do hope I end up earning as much money as Conor McGregor. I’m going to give back to my city. No child in this city would ever eat from a food bank ever again.”

“I look like the kid next door,” Pimblett said in an interview with The Guardian in March 2022. “Most fighters show off their big muscles, they sneer and snarl, tattoos all over them. I’ve got this haircut and not a single tattoo. But I turn into a different person in the cage. I get tunnel vision and all I think about is this guy in front of me and how I put him to sleep.”

Early Career And Professional Debut

Pimblett made his debut in 2012 when he was 17 years old. He notched up a 3–0 record before signing with Cage Warriors a year later.

In 2016, he won the Cage Warriors featherweight championship and defended it once before losing it and moving up to lightweight.

Pimblett signed a contract with the UFC in 2021 after winning his final two bouts for Cage Warriors. Speaking after signing his UFC deal in March 2021, Pimblett said: “It was inevitable, weren’t it?” said Pimblett. “It was always going to happen and now it’s finally happened.

“I got the phone call on Monday from Graham [Cage Warriors boss Graham Boylan] after fighting on Saturday. It was a little bit of a shock because it was so fast. There was no negotiating… I just knew. I’m sure Graham will share the details when it’s announced that I’ve actually signed. But this is only the beginning — the beginning of a long journey. I’m going to be making history.”

UFC

Prior to Pimblett’s UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini, Conor McGregor sent the Liverpudlian fighter a good-luck message on Twitter.

Before his debut, Pimblett revealed that it was the first time that McGregor had got in touch with him. “It’s the first time he’s ever reached out to be honest,” Pimblett said of McGregor in September 2021 before his UFC debut.

“I remember years and years ago when I had my Cage Warriors debut and he was there cornering someone from his gym, but it was before he’d even had his UFC debut, I believe his debut was coming up. So yeah, that’s the first time we’ve had a correspondence. He changed the game and I’m coming to do exactly the same.”

“What did I tell you?” Pimblett said after the victory, which also earned him a performance of the night bonus. “I’m a scouser. We don’t get knocked out. I’m here to takeover. I’m the new cash cow. I’m the new man. People are going to be calling me out now.”

In October 2021, it was announced that Pimblett had signed a “massive seven-figure” sponsorship deal for him to become brand ambassador and content creator for Barstool Sports.

Posting on Twitter after the sponsorship deal was announced, Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy shared a screenshot of his initial DM to Paddy on Instagram.

Paddy later revealed that he had earned an appearance fee of $12,000 for the fight against Vargas and a further $12,000 for claiming the victory. He also reportedly earned a further $50,000 bonus for getting the win.

Pimblett next took on Jordan Leavitt on 23 July 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall in London. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round and once again picked up a performance of the night bonus.

Mental Health Advocate

Paddy has spoken out in public about the stigma surrounding men’s mental health. Speaking after UFC London in the summer of 2022, when he sealed a second-round submission victory over Jordan Leavitt, Pimblett making an emotional call for men to talk about their feelings following the death of his friend by suicide.

“I woke up on Friday morning at 4am to a message that one of my friends back home had killed himself,” Pimblett said in the interview after his victory. “This was five hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you.

“But, there is a stigma in this world that men can’t talk. Listen, if you’re a man and you’ve got weight on your shoulders and you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone, speak to anyone.

“People would rather – I know I’d rather have my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So please, let’s get rid of this stigma and men, start talking.”

Molly McCann

Paddy is close friends with fellow Liverpudlian fighter Molly McCann. The pair are often spotted together and met while training at Next Generation MMA in Liverpool.

“Her success is massive to me,” Paddy said of McCann back in March 2022. To see her winning – the fact we can both sit there be happy and celebrate a win together, there’s nothing like it – it’s a family business to us.”

Meanwhile, McCann has also spoken about how her friendship with Pimblett has helped her to develop as a fighter.

“He is my little big brother and he gives me confidence and an edge and he makes me believe,” said McCann. “I can do it without him but it’s a lot better doing it with him. Just seeing his reaction when I won and then I got to sit with Dana White when he won and I snuck in the cage and got to share that moment together.”

Earnings And Net Worth

As is the case with most sports stars, there is no official figure available for Paddy Pimblett’s net worth.

However, various media outlets have made estimates about the number. For example, according to Networth & Salary, Pimblett’s net worth stood at around $1m – $5m as of March 2022. This figure, which converts to around £833,000 – £4.16m in British Pounds, has also been reported by a number of newspapers in the UK.

Pimblett signed a “seven-figure” sponsorship deal with Barstool Sports back in 2021.

Life Away From The Cage

Paddy is a supporter of English football team Liverpool FC.

What Have Others Said?

Molly McCann, speaking about Paddy in an interview in The Guardian in March 2022: “Paddy might not look like a fighter and, with the mouth he has, you wouldn’t expect him to do all he does for the community. The two of us are totally mad characters but we come from the best and hardest city in the world.”

Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy, speaking in the summer of 2022 about how he first discovered Pimblett: “I had never heard of Paddy ‘The Baddy’ til he got that – I think this was his first UFC fight – he got caught a little bit, and then knocked the guy out. And I went down a rabbit hole of his highlights. There’s something that was causing me to do that. There was something that I was watching this guy, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. There wasn’t a UFC guy in a long time where I was just going down every video I could find, every interview I could find, everything about him, as a fan. Like ‘Who is this guy?’ And he can fight a little bit. So it was the right thing, and we signed his partner in crime Molly ‘The Meatball’ who is every bit as electric as he is.”