Paddy Pimblett Once Gained About 45 Pounds in 3 Weeks After His Fight – Netizens Said 'This Can't Be the Same Person'

The UFC fighter's habit of rapidly gaining weight outside training camp became almost as recognizable as his performances inside the Octagon, and the reactions followed. Photos documenting the difference are waiting at the end of the article.

Known as "The Baddy," Paddy Pimblett arrived in the UFC in 2021 with an established reputation after previously becoming a Cage Warriors champion.

By August 2022, he had won his first three UFC appearances, finishing each opponent as his popularity rapidly grew. His success, however, came alongside persistent discussion about the dramatic fluctuations in his weight.

Pimblett competed in the UFC's lightweight division, which required him to reach the 155-pound limit for non-title bouts, but his weight between fights could climb considerably higher. That contrast was particularly striking around his July 2022 fight against Jordan Leavitt.

He was also aware that continuing such significant fluctuations indefinitely was not his long-term plan.

The English mixed martial artist entered UFC Fight Night at London's O2 Arena on July 23, 2022, having successfully made the lightweight limit despite weighing more than 190 pounds in the weeks before the event.

He went on to defeat Leavitt, securing another finish and extending his unbeaten start in the UFC. With the fight behind him, the strict diet and training required to make weight quickly gave way to his well-documented enjoyment of food.

By August 14 of that year, only about three weeks after facing Leavitt, Pimblett revealed during an interview that he was already "about 200" pounds.

The figure put him roughly 45 pounds above the lightweight limit and represented an increase of the same amount from the weight he had reached ahead of his previous fight.

Pimblett frequently joked about his appetite and tendency to eat freely when he was not preparing to compete. Once another training camp began, however, the process reversed as he worked his way back toward 155 pounds.

He was also aware that continuing such significant fluctuations indefinitely was not his long-term plan. The UFC star shared:

"When I'm a bit older and once I start fighting ranked opponents, I will keep my weight down. But for now, I enjoy putting a little bit of chub rub on."

At that point, there was no immediate need for another weight cut. Pimblett confirmed he would not join teammate Molly McCann on the UFC 281 card at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 12, 2022.

Instead, he hoped to compete at UFC 282 in Las Vegas on December 10 and make one more appearance before the year ended. "I think I'm going to fight in Vegas," Pimblett said. "That's what I'm hoping."

While he could joke about gaining weight between fights, his dramatically different appearance during the August 2022 interview caught plenty of attention online.

Some commenters were struck primarily by how much his face appeared to change when he was away from camp. "The face change Paddy has when he is off is insane," one person commented.

Another was left questioning whether the fighter they were seeing was really the same man who had competed weeks earlier, typing, "Every time I see this dude out of camp I am truly perplexed. This can't be the same person."

The speed of the change prompted another wave of reactions, with some commenters again expressing concern about what such substantial fluctuations could mean for him.

Others focused less on his appearance and more on the potential consequences of repeatedly moving between such different weights.

One person shared, "50+ lbs in 3 weeks between camps. He's still young. If he's still doing this [expletive] in a couple years it's begging for a heart attack."

Despite Pimblett's acknowledgment that he eventually intended to keep his weight lower between fights, the rapid post-fight gains did not end in 2022. Three years later, he experienced another dramatic swing following UFC 314.

Pimblett weighed 156 pounds before competing at the April 2025 event, but just one week afterward, he revealed that the scale had climbed to 198 pounds. That amounted to a 42-pound increase in seven days.

Food and drink were once again part of the story. Pimblett revealed that he had consumed about five milkshakes after the fight as he relaxed the restrictions that had helped him reach competition weight.

The speed of the change prompted another wave of reactions, with some commenters again expressing concern about what such substantial fluctuations could mean for him.

One person wrote, "That boy gonna kill himself if he keeps doing that, thats so unhealthy and could put him into a heart attack thats crazy [sic]."

Others suggested that the 42-pound difference could not necessarily be viewed as conventional body weight gain alone. One person commented, "I can guarantee about half of that is water weight. Idk how these guys do it."

Another commenter was simply baffled by how quickly the number on the scale had risen, sharing, "I would like to how to gain up THAT much WEIGHT in a week or two on a LIQUID DIET [sic]."

From reaching the lightweight limit to approaching 200 pounds shortly afterward, Pimblett's dramatic fluctuations have repeatedly become a talking point alongside his fighting career. Photos showing the striking difference in his 2022 transformation can be found below.

Before

After