UFC star Paddy Pimblett reacts after mental health remarks reach over 15million people

KARACHI: UFC star Paddy Pimblett responded after his post-fight remarks about mental health at UFC London reached more than 15 million people.

The 27-year-old appealed for males to be more upfront about their feelings after defeating Jordan Leavitt last month, revealing he had recently lost a friend to suicide.

The UFC and BT Sport interviews have received over 15 million views on social media and YouTube since they were posted.

The Liverpudlian claims that several individuals have sought out him on social media to confide in them after paying tribute to his friend Ricky, after which he exited the octagon in tears.

"I've had so many comments, so many messages saying 'without your speech I wouldn't be here now'," Pimblett told BBC Sport.

"And like, stuff like that means more than any win ever will, people saying I would have killed myself if it wasn't for you. People with more influence than me should be talking about this," he added.

Pimblett added that despite his popularity, it should not be up to him to spread awareness and has urged others in positions of authority to do the same.

"[Suicide] should be getting spoken about every day, not just because some fighter mentioned it. Those split-second decisions where you choose to take your own life affect everyone else's life for the rest of their lives. It's not just a split-second decision, it ruins lives," he further said.

"Get rid of this stupid 'I'm a tough guy' thing. There's a stigma there that we can't talk about, that we need to get rid of."

"I read something the other day that said 'ask someone how they are twice'," he maintained.

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