A poignant mural of UFC standout Paddy Pimblett appeared after he delivered an empowered speech on mental health – and here’s where you can find it.
Paddy Pimblett Mural
Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett has shot to fame over recent months for his larger-than-life persona and trolling of his opposition.
However, he revealed a far more serious side to his personality after defeating American Jordan Leavitt at London’s O2 arena in July.
In his post-fight interview, the Liverpudlian revealed a close friend has committed suicide just hours before the bout and urged men to speak up if they were feeling down.
He said he’d much rather ‘have a mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week’, adding: “I woke up on Friday morning at 4am to a message that one my friends back home had killed themselves.
“This was five hours before my weigh-in.
“So Ricky lad, that’s for you. There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk.
“Listen, if you’re a man and you’ve got weight on your shoulders and you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone.”
Battling back tears with UFC commentator and hall-of-famer Michael Bisping next to him, he continued: “Speak to anyone. I know I would rather have my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So please, let’s get rid of this stigma. Men start talking.”
The mixed martial artist’s speech quickly went viral and attracted praise from all over the globe, including some particular admirers in Dundee.
Empowered by his words, artist Symon Mathieson painted a jaw-dropping mural in a tunnel at Monymusk Park. A photo of the stunning black and white artwork was shared by Paddy who wrote ‘Getting sent this gave me goosebumps’.
The star’s post has been liked a whopping 326,000 times.
Symon, who is also known as Syke, created the artwork after being approached by local support group Andy’s Man Club.
Writing on Facebook, he said: “Big ups to Paddy Pimblett for using his platform to raise awareness.”
