‘Paddy hate’ overwhelmed Paddy Pimblett after UFC popularity crashed

English sensation and self-proclaimed fifth Beatle Paddy Pimblett took the UFC by storm in 2021, but now he’s singing a different tune.

While riding a five-fight win streak, Pimblett welcomed twin daughters with his wife to the world this summer and looks to echo lightweight Charles Oliveira, who credits the birth of his children for refocusing his mind en route to a world title.

“I hope that’s what f–king comes here,” Pimblett told The Post in an interview in preparation for his bout with Bobby Green at UFC 304 in Manchester on July 27.

But Pimblett has had a tough go over the past two years despite never losing inside the Octagon.

Pimblett was on top of the world for the UFC, styling his way up the PPV ladder, accumulating nearly three million followers on Instagram, and becoming a household star for the promotion.

A clash with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani in December 2022, coupled with controversial remarks following his close decision victory over Jared Gordon, despite being heavily favored at UFC 282, added turbulence to Pimblett’s career trajectory.

“People still to this day say [his fight with Jared Gordon] was a robbery,’ Pimblett explained, as some fans believed that judges got the winner of the fight wrong. “I don’t understand that.”

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Pimblett says he coasted through round three, incorrectly thinking he had won the first two rounds; he still came away with the win despite some funky scorecards.

He began his post-fight interview by disagreeing with broadcaster Joe Rogan, who said the fight was “a close one,” which Pimblett quickly said, ‘No, it wasn’t.'”

Pimblett concluded his post-fight interview with Rogan by asking UFC President Dana White for a “Fight of the Night” bonus, which fans also seemed to disagree with given the expectation of a massive victory.

“People love jumping on the Paddy hate bandwagon. I hurt my ankle in the first round; it played a big part in my footwork. I had to have surgery … I had to sleep on the couch because I couldn’t walk up the stairs.”

This is something that he says drained his mental health in the months and weeks prior.

He was out of training for three months due to the ankle injury, which he says partly contributed to poor cardio in his fight with Tony Ferguson a year later.

“I got a little bit depressed after that, to be honest with you,” Pimblett said, adding that not being able to train between his bouts with Gordon and Ferguson drained his mental health and likely contributed to poor cardio in his next bout.

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Pimblett received national media attention after he famously advocated for suicide prevention after his second-round submission victory over Jordan Leavitt in July 2022.

“When I fought in July, and I beat Jordan Leavitt, and I [talked about mental health], I was the best thing since sliced bread,” Pimblett said. “I was the best thing in the world.”

“Literally, five months later, I win a close decision, which was a close decision. I do regret saying in the cage [that it wasn’t a close fight], but lad, I just fought for 15 minutes; that’s what people don’t understand,” Pimblett said.

The nasty side of the internet then came calling for the Liverpudlian, but he seems to have beaten it for now.

“At the same time, I had people commenting on all my stuff, saying this and that, but the worst part about that was some of the comments saying, ‘Oh, you might as well go kill yourself now; your life’s over,’ and it’s like ‘f–king else,'” Pimblett explained. “It messed with my head a lot, but it’s made me a lot stronger.”

Barring a massive line move that would be nearly unprecedented, Pimblett’s next fight with Green will be the first time he has been an underdog since 2018, when he fought Soren Bak in the European promotion Cage Warriors.

Pimblett says he is not surprised, though.

“Everybody underestimates me because I still look like an 18-year-old,” Pimblett, 29, said. “Everyone thinks I’m just a kid. I can’t wait to see him at the press conference and the weigh-ins because I think I am going to tower over him … I’m a real lightweight because I am one of the biggest lightweights in the division. Green is a blown-out featherweight.”

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“I think I’m going to make Bobby look like an old man,” Pimblett said, predicting a dominant main card performance.

“We all know that I have a grappling advantage. The only way that Bobby beats me is if he pitter-patters for 15 minutes … Personally, I think I can beat him wherever the fight goes. I know he can’t knock me out because he doesn’t have the power.”

Pimblett typically rocks the old-school Beatles-style haircut, but the young-man look won’t be returning at UFC 304.

“Yeah, the braids are coming back. Definitely, that’s why my hair is so long at the minute,” Pimblett said.

Expecting a July 27 win near his hometown in Manchester, England, Pimblett may provide more discussion on mental health afterward.

“I might need to talk again [about mental health] after this one,” Pimblett said.

The fans should certainly be in his corner in a raucous crowd, as Pimblett is a phenomenon in the area.

A victory would do wonders for him as the English star looks to rocket up the rankings in hopes of a title match.

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