Every fighter knows the Octagon demands sacrifice—broken bones, blood, bruises, sleepless nights. But what happens when the fight doesn’t come under the bright lights… when it comes in a hospital room? What happens when the opponent isn’t another trained killer, but cancer?

That’s the story here. Paddy Pimblett’s teammate, Jake McHugh, didn’t just stare down that nightmare—he beat it. And then, after nearly two years away from the cage, he walked back in at Cage Warriors 193 and picked up a win. Think about that: from chemo and uncertainty to hand raised in victory. It’s the kind of comeback that makes even hardened fight fans stop and shake their heads in disbelief.

Paddy Pimblett spreads awareness about testicular cancer  

Paddy Pimblett uploaded a video on his YouTube channel, in which McHugh said, “I’m really grateful for that to everybody. But, one thing that I wanna do now. I want to raise awareness, because one of the things I came across. One of the things that I was telling, particularly other men. They said, if they found something similar, they just wouldn’t have done anything. I find that absolutely insane to be honest. That’s not okay. So, one thing that I wanna do, I wanna tell people, it’s just something that you need to do. Something that you need to check.”  

That’s a powerful message from Jake McHugh. The Brit has experienced firsthand just how hard it is to battle cancer and make a comeback. Because of that, his teammates couldn’t be prouder. Especially Paddy Pimblett, who first met McHugh during the England vs. Ireland fight in 2023, where they both represented England. With absolute respect for his teammate, ‘The Baddy’ has also stepped up to help spread awareness to men who might be suffering from testicular cancer.  

In the YouTube video, Paddy added, “A year ago, he didn’t know if he’d be able to fight again. That just shows what a man he is. He’s very passionate about people need to get checked. If you feel like he’s in any sort of pain or any problem down there. Go and get checked. Don’t be afraid to go to the doctor and see if anything is up with you. It’s better to know if there’s something wrong before it spreads. That’s what Jake done. Jake got it checked out. It hadn’t spread. Look at him now, he’s just won a fight in the Cage Warriors.”  

That’s an experience Jake will never forget in his lifetime. He also had the support of his loved ones to help him come back from cancer and secure a massive win. Now that we know what he went through to battle the disease, let’s dive into how the Brit feels about claiming victory at the Cage Warriors event.  

Jake McHugh opens up about Cage Warriors victory after surviving cancer  

Honestly, stories of fighters coming back after a major injury surface from time to time. But beating cancer and then stepping back into the cage to win a fight? That’s extremely rare. Tatiana Suarez might be one of the few examples. The UFC strawweight contender had to battle thyroid cancer before making it big, and it was her sheer will to fight that essentially gave her a new lease on life.

Jake McHugh, after securing his win at Cage Warriors, feels something very similar. In Paddy’s YouTube video, McHugh added, “To get a win after all that, it’s made everything that I’ve gone through worth it. Do you know what I mean? That was really tough—just the last year or so has been. And it’s actually a good reflection of what’s happened. It’s a good end and a new beginning to everything that I’ve been through over the past however many months.”

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Paddy Pimblett’s teammate will use this new beginning to carve out his own legacy. Currently, “The Baddy” is a popular name among UFC fans, and hopefully, McHugh will achieve that kind of recognition someday. So, what do you think about the English fighter’s journey of beating cancer and coming back to win? Let us know in the comments below.