Paddy Pimblett Almost Pulled Out Of UFC 304 – ‘Mentally, I Wasn’t There’
Paddy Pimblett’s coach almost pulled him out of his upcoming UFC 304 fight against Bobby Green on July 27.
Pimblett is in the final fight of his UFC contract, as he has spoken about exploring the possibility of boxing against YouTubers. He is currently 5-0, as he has the toughest fight of his career. He is coming off a win against Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 last year. While he is undefeated, his win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282 was highly controversial. That was the first sign of Pimblett potentially being beaten. Pimblett is also known for ballooning up in weight during fight camps, which will likely impact him once he faces better opposition. Paddy admitted it was not his best camp in the build-up to this fight, as his coach considered pulling him out.
Pimblett Reacts
“It’s mad because five weeks ago, I was thinking ‘Oh my god, this is the worst camp of my life, what’s going on here? Just a few things went wrong…a couple of weeks ago, a few things personally were getting me down. Kicked into gear at the right time, everything fell into place and no one could beat me on Saturday.
“About five or six weeks ago, my coach was thinking about pulling me out. Mentally, I just wasn’t there…up until like two or three weeks ago. I don’t know [how I turned it around], I have that attitude and that positivity where I can turn it around. You know how confident I am, so when my coach was thinking about pulling me out I went ‘No, no chance,” Pimblett said
There is a worry that Pimblett is not focused. He has already entertained a fight with Jake Paul, as he considers boxing. He was vocal about picking up a big purse, something which will eclipse his UFC earnings. With one eye on his life beyond the UFC, Pimblett risks overlooking Green. Green has three wins out of his last four UFC fights. He beat Jim Miller in his last bout at UFC 300 in April, meaning he is in top condition for this fight.
Rousey’s Return?
Just as Pimblett explores his options outside the UFC, Ronda Rousey has ruled out a return. She left the UFC in 2016 after losing her last two fights. She was stopped by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in 2015 and knocked out by Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in 2016. Rousey then pursued a career in WWE before being released last year. While she was linked with a return at UFC 300, she does not expect to fight as she is focused on motherhood.
“I appreciate when people ask. Maybe it means they still miss me. If I could, I definitely would [fight again]. [But], if I want to have a whole basketball team full of kids, I can’t take any more detours. I’ve always wanted to be a mom with a lot of kids,” Rousey stated
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