Briton Patrick “Paddy” Pimblett competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts sport, with almost no rules during the fight.
It is a demanding discipline that mixes boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, judo with Brazilian jiu jitsu, kickboxing and muay thai movements.
An extreme and difficult sport.
That’s why attention was drawn to the appeal of this 27-year-old professional fighter who, after winning a fight over the weekend, addressed all men after dedicating the victory to a close friend who took his own life.
“I got a message on Friday at 4 am. A friend of mine, Ricky, committed suicide in my hometown of Liverpool. The stigma that we men can’t talk about…”, he said emotionally at the end of the fight.
Pimblett urged men not to suffer in silence and to worry about their mental health, in a direct and inspiring message.
“Listen, if you’re a man and there’s a lot going on… And if you think the only way to fix this is to kill yourself, please: talk to someone.”
“Talk to anyone. People will help you,” continued the star.
The reaction of live viewers revealed the impact the speech had at that very moment.
“I’d rather see my friend crying on my shoulder than have to go to his funeral next week,” she exclaimed.
“Let’s get rid of the stigma. Men need to start talking.”
The fighter left the Octagon in tears after the emotional speech.
Pimblett explained that, after hearing the news, he had to stay strong and go to the fight “not just for himself, but for his friends and for Ricky’s family, who are suffering more at home than I am.”
“I had to focus on the fight. I had to block out my emotions. When I got the news on Friday, I was crying,” he said.
“I wondered why I was getting ready for a fight and the reason I did it so I could get here and get that message across,” he said in an interview with BT Sports.
“Women can talk and men can’t, because they think they’ll look weak. But no, you’re stronger than anyone if you can go to your friend and tell him how you feel.”
He also said that there was a point in his career when things went wrong.
He had broken his hand and considered “doing something drastic”.
It was a very moving speech that clearly impacted those watching the fight from home.
“The interview with Paddy Pimblett after the fight over the weekend may have helped raise awareness of how important it is for people to open up and talk if they’re having trouble with something. And it was a reminder, once again, of that it’s okay to talk,” mental health expert Pete White told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62341966
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