Paddy Pimblett has 'no clue' when he will be fit to fight in UFC again
- Published
Paddy Pimblett has secured three finishes in his four UFC fights
Paddy Pimblett says he has "no clue" when he will be fit to fight again as he continues to recover from surgery on his ankle.
Liverpool's Pimblett, 28, revealed the injury after beating Jared Gordon in a close content in Las Vegas in December.
Pimblett underwent three surgeries on separate ligaments in his right ankle in March.
"There's no time frame. Everyone keeps asking me and I wish I could tell them," Pimblett told BBC Sport.
"But I haven't got the slightest clue. That's a hard part - when I can't say. At the moment it's a waiting game to see when I can actually fight."
Pimblett has recently returned to training, which he says has "helped with the mental side of things" after struggling in the early stages of the injury.
"Mentally is definitely the hardest part about it because you're just sitting on the couch with your thoughts. You've got nothing else to do. You're just sitting there in pain for the first week," said Pimblett.
"It's nice to be back in the gym doing something. But I'm still waiting on stuff to get back to America and get over to the PI (UFC Performance Institute) and get some rehab done there."
Pimblett enjoyed a successful 2022, winning three fights which propelled him to stardom in the UFC.
The lightweight submitted Rodrigo Vargas in March and Jordan Leavitt in July, before co-headlining in the win over Gordon.
Pimblett faced criticism for his performance against Gordon, however, with many fans and fellow fighters believing the American should have been crowned the winner.
"It gets in your head a little bit more when it's your peers but they know as well as me, I'm not a judge. It's not on me," said Pimblett.
Pimblett, who has won four fights in the UFC since signing with the promotion in 2021, added he will be treating his return to the octagon just like every other fight.
"I've always got a point to prove no matter what," said Pimblett.
"Even if I finish my last fight in a 10 second knockout, I've got a point to prove when I get in the cage so it's the same again when I do eventually come around to fight."