Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett has never been one to shy away from bold statements, and his approach to submissions in mixed martial arts is no exception.
The Liverpool UFC star recently made it clear that when it comes to tapping out, there are only two scenarios he’d consider: an armbar threatening to snap his arm in half, or a kimura bending his arm up his back “like a busy lock.”
“If someone puts me in a choke, I’m not tapping. I’m going unconscious,”
Pimblett stated in a YouTube video, demonstrating the extreme mindset that separates elite fighters from the rest.
This philosophy stems from a practical understanding of submission mechanics. When choked unconscious, Pimblett explained, “you wake back up 10 seconds later” relatively unharmed.
However, joint locks like armbars and kimuras present a different threat entirely, permanent physical damage. The distinction is crucial: consciousness can be regained, but snapped ligaments and broken bones can end careers.
Pimblett’s tough-as-nails mentality isn’t just talk. He’s proven his pain tolerance in actual competition, recalling a match where he snapped his inner ligaments, outer ligaments, and CFL in the first round, yet continued competing for another two and a half rounds.
When he finally had it examined after the match, doctors told him he had “no ligament left.” Despite the injury severely limiting his movement and leading many to believe he lost the fight, Pimblett simply had to “crack on.”
While some might question the wisdom of refusing to tap to chokes, for Pimblett, it’s about sending a message to opponents and himself: he simply will not quit.
