Paddy Pimblett 's last UFC opponent Jordan Leavitt has revealed that fans send him explicit photos on social media because of his '"non-macho" personality.
Leavitt was submitted by Pimblett when the pair fought at UFC London in July, with the American receiving lots of backlash for promising to 'twerk' on his rival if he won the fight. Pimblett had the last laugh as he picked up his third win in the promotion and celebrated by 'teabagging' Leavitt in the cage straight after forcing him to tap out.
Since losing to 'The Baddy', Leavitt has insisted he is baffled after being sent explicit pictures from fans of their private parts on social media. Leavitt, who got married to his wife Ashlie in 2019, speculated that fans assume he is gay because of his post-fight antics, such as when he 'twerks' and does the splits in the cage.
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"People tell me I'm gay and they send me penis pictures," Leavitt said on the Wah-Gwaan Show. "I just let it roll off my back. I think it's funny, you know. I'm not masculine. I'm not macho. I don't fit the whole persona but you know, I read the message and feel sad about it for a second and lay down with my wife. That's how I do it."
Leavitt suffered just the second loss of his current UFC stint when he was submitted by Pimblett as 'The Monkey King' is yet to book a return fight. The American thinks part of the hate he receives on social media is because there is no consequences for people who send abuse, whilst adding the machoism of the MMA fanbase likely has a part to play in it.
"People have a lot of hate in their hearts and they'll find anything," he told Mirror Fighting. "If I did nothing after I won they'd say I was boring and if I was this they'd hate me for that. People like to be hateful and angry because there's no consequences, when I was growing up if someone said something you'd just punch them in the mouth.
"I think a lot of people hyper-fixate on something and try to find a reason to be upset. People don't feel comfortable with my demeanour because I don't match the fighter moulds, so they think I must be doing this because something's wrong on me. I've embraced the position people have put me in, so if they want me to make the disrespectful dancing weird guy, I can be that guy."
