UFC London: Paddy Pimblett sensationally submits Jordan Leavitt in second round
- Published
Pimblett was emotional following his win over Leavitt
Warning: This article contains a reference to suicide.
Paddy Pimblett sensationally submitted Jordan Leavitt in the second round of their lightweight bout at UFC London.
In a close fight, Pimblett, 27, locked Leavitt in a rear-naked choke, sparking jubilation inside the 02 Arena.
Liverpool's Pimblett used his post-fight interview to raise awareness of mental health after he lost a friend to suicide earlier this week.
"If you're feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, please speak to someone," he said.
"I woke up on Friday morning at 4am to a message that one of my friends had killed himself. So, Ricky lad, that's for you.
"Listen, if you're a man, please speak to someone, speak to anyone. I'd rather my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week."
Popular Pimblett impresses again
Throughout fight week fans - including rising American star Sean O'Malley , external- wore wigs, inspired by Pimblett's hair, illustrating the ever-rising popularity of the Merseyside fighter.
His stardom has not gone unnoticed by the UFC, with Pimblett fighting third on the main card for the second time in four months after only three fights in the promotion.
America's Leavitt was booed on his way to the octagon - jeers which erupted into a roars of "oh Paddy the Baddy" as Pimblett started his walk to the cage.
Dancing to the octagon, encouraging the crowd to get on their feet, Pimblett's jovial demeanour changed as soon as he entered the cage, as he met Leavitt with an intense stare.
Paddy Pimblett makes men's mental health appeal after losing friend
The first round was closely fought as Leavitt looked to take Pimblett down throughout, but the Briton ended the round on top as he tried to lock in a rear-naked choke.
It was that same submission which paid dividends in the second round as Pimblett secured it midway through to earn the win.
Just like she did for Pimblett's victory over Rodrigo Vargas in March, Pimblett's team-mate Molly McCann, who beat Hannah Goldy earlier in the night, joined in the celebrations inside the octagon.
The party atmosphere soon turned sombre, however, as an emotional Pimblett paid tribute to his late friends. After an emotional speech, Pimblett broke down in tears as he left the octagon.
Impressive McCann earns another KO
McCann's win over Goldy was her third straight victory in the UFC
Liverpool's McCann continued her fine form in the UFC as she earned another stunning win, knocking out American's Hannah Goldy in the first round.
Just like her win over Luana Carolina in London in March, it was a spinning elbow from McCann which did the damage as she rocked Goldy up against the cage, before finishing the fight with a flurry of punches.
The victory was met with more wild celebrations as McCann dived out of the octagon, while team-mate Pimblett was seen jumping up and down backstage on the big screen.
McCann, 32, praised the British fans in her post-fight interview for supporting female fighters.
"I don't know if I've ever seen this in combat sports, in the UK people getting this behind a female athlete. That energy you bring gets you through," she said.
"I will not let you down, not ever. Have you ever seen lightning strike twice [referring to the elbow]? Well now you have."
Elsewhere, Scotland's Paul Craig suffered a unanimous decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, ending his four-fight win streak at light-heavyweight.
Like in his victory over Nikita Krylov in March, Craig looked to pull guard throughout the fight in an attempt to utilise his jiu-jitsu, but Switzerland's Oezdemir navigated the threat well.
The loss seriously dents Craig's title ambitions in the division.
There were also wins for Britons Jai Herbert, Muhammad Mokaev, Nathaniel Wood and Marc Diakiese.
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