{"id":429834,"date":"2026-01-22T11:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T11:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/429834\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T11:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T11:30:08","slug":"paddy-pimblett-opens-up-about-why-food-restriction-is-the-hardest-part-of-fight-prep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/429834\/","title":{"rendered":"Paddy Pimblett Opens Up About Why Food Restriction Is the Hardest Part of Fight Prep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ahead of his UFC 324 main event against Justin Gaethje this Saturday, Paddy Pimblett<\/a> has opened up about the extreme reality of weight cutting in MMA, describing the system as ‘disgusting’ while admitting it\u2019s almost impossible to avoid.<\/p>\n

Speaking on the Men\u2019s Health: Built For Life<\/a> podcast, the lightweight contender broke down the day-to-day grind of fight camp and the calorie deficits required to make weight, revealing that food restriction, not training, is the hardest part of preparation.<\/p>\n

‘Counting calories every day and making sure you\u2019re not eating all of your amounts of calories,’ Pimblett says. ‘That\u2019s the strict parameters that you have to live by as you build up to a fight. That\u2019s the bit that governs your life. That\u2019s the hardest part, by far \u2013 the discipline of that.’<\/p>\n

During camp, Pimblett says his intake typically sits between 2,000 and 2,250 calories a day, despite burning far more through training. ‘I\u2019m burning at least like 3500 calories a day. So that\u2019s a big deficit,’ he explains.<\/p>\n

The approach, he insists, is brutally simple. ‘People always ask me, “How do you lose the weight?” And I\u2019m like, yeah, that\u2019s called a calorie deficit<\/a>.’<\/p>\n

Pimblett is meticulous with tracking, logging everything he eats and counting every macro<\/a>. But he\u2019s also keen to dispel the idea that weight cuts require a ‘clean’ or restrictive food list. ‘You could eat McDonald\u2019s every day if you want,’ he says. ‘As long as you\u2019re eating less calories than you burn, you\u2019re going to lose weight.’<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy. ‘It\u2019s rough. Sometimes you\u2019re hungry, sometimes you\u2019re not. But you\u2019ve just got to get on with it.’<\/p>\n

And once the fight is over, the pendulum swings hard in the opposite direction. ‘Right after the fight I\u2019ll eat anything,’ Pimblett says, recalling post-fight days where he\u2019s consumed 6,000 to 10,000 calories without trying. The consequences are immediate when training resumes. ‘I get back in the gym and I feel fat. I gas out so easily.’<\/p>\n

Despite being openly critical of the system, Pimblett believes weight cutting is unavoidable in the current structure of MMA. ‘Weight cutting is never going to go away. If you don\u2019t do it, you\u2019re at a disadvantage,’ he says. ‘It comes from wrestling. Wrestlers do it all the time. It\u2019s disgusting, but you\u2019ve got to be mentally ready for it.’<\/p>\n

His proposed solution is structural rather than individual. ‘I\u2019d add more weight classes,’ Pimblett says, pointing to the large gaps between divisions that encourage drastic cuts.<\/p>\n

As he prepares to step into the octagon against Gaethje, Pimblett\u2019s comments offer a blunt look at the extremes required just to make it to the cage.<\/p>\n

You can watch the full conversation above, or tune into Men\u2019s Health: Built For Life<\/a> wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Thursday.
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Isaac Williams is Multiplatform Editor for both Women\u2019s Health UK and Men\u2019s Health UK, guiding and supporting the content teams to create content across all platforms. Isaac\u2019s love of health and fitness began at Loughborough University, where he graduated with a History and English degree in 2014. His first job was at Men\u2019s Running magazine, where he progressed from Staff Writer to Editor. Among his highlights of those four years include completing a 24-hour track race (never again), just about finishing a multi-day ultramarathon in the Azores, and chugging his way around a \u2018beer mile\u2019. Isaac ventured into the world of freelance journalism in 2018, interviewing some of the biggest names in sport \u2013 like Anthony Joshua and Ben Stokes \u2013 and writing features for the likes of The Guardian, Red Bull, ShortList and BBC Countryfile. He was also a regular contributor to an adventure series called \u2018The Man Who\u2019: speaking to some of the world\u2019s most extreme explorers from the wilds of Caff\u00e8 Nero. In late-2019, Isaac became Editor of Men\u2019s Fitness UK. In his five years there, Isaac was responsible for editing the monthly magazine and managing website content, ultimately helping the brand transition to a \u2018digital-first\u2019 approach. He joined Hearst UK as Multiplatform Editor in December 2024, where he manages day-to-day digital output, edits content and writes articles on all things health and fitness. When he\u2019s not hammering at his keyboard, Isaac enjoys exercise and trying \u2013 \u00a0unsuccessfully, so far \u2013 to teach his baby son to kick a football. You can follow Isaac on Instagram @isaacw1993<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n