Pimblett was voted the winner of the Celebrity of the Year award at the National Diversity Awards, an annual celebration that honours role models, organisations and entrepreneurs that have had a positive impact on the equality and diversity sectors.
The 2024 ceremony was held in Pimblett’s home town, at Liverpool Cathedral, and the UFC lightweight admitted that he thought he’d been invited to attend in person because he just lived down the road.
“You know what? I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t got no speech prepared, or anything like that. I didn’t expect this,” he said as he took to the stage to accept his award
“I just thought I was here to make up the numbers for that category. I thought like, ‘Yeah, he’s from Liverpool. We’ll invite him. He’ll come!’ But yeah, I’ve won!”
Pimblett won the award for his work in the community via his foundation, The Baddy Foundation, which serves “to uplift communities by meeting their most basic needs – specifically on knocking out food insecurity and combatting the stigma around men’s mental health.”
Pimblett has used his platform as one of the UFC’s most well-known fighters to spread the positive message that men need to share their mental health problems, rather than keep them to themselves.
The breakout moment came immediately after his victory over Jordan Leavitt at UFC London in 2022, when, during his post-fight interview, he shared the heartbreaking story of his friend, who had taken his life in the lead-up to his fight.
“There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk,” he said at the time.
“Listen, if you’re a man, if 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. Speak to anyone.
“People would rather… I know I’d rather have my mate cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. So please, let’s get rid of this stigma, and men, start talking!”
Since then, Pimblett’s foundation has worked “with local partners and nonprofit organisations including schools, food banks and food service providers, hospitals and mental health providers,” initially focusing on the Liverpool area, though the plan is for the foundation’s reach to expand beyond that.
That work, and Pimblett’s willingness to talk publicly about mental health, including his own mental health battles, contributed to him winning the Celebrity of the Year award at the National Diversity Awards, though he played down his own status and thanked those who have helped him along the way.
“I can’t thank anyone enough for picking me,” he said.
“But, as I say, I just do what I do. I’m just a normal lad from Liverpool and I just said what I said that night, and obviously I’ve stuck with it.
“I need to give a big shout out to my foundation, The Baddy Foundation, and the people who I work with, James’s Place. They save lives constantly, men’s lives. They saved mine. So a big shout out to them.
“As I say, I’m just doing my bit. I think anyone in my position should try to help people less fortunate than them.
“I’d like to thank my friends and family, obviously. My wife, she’s like Superwoman. And all my teammates, my management and all that. But, nice one for having me!”
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