LAS VEGAS – After an inspired featherweight win over Ananias Malumba, Tom Pagliarulo wants to help shine some light on a subject long kept darkened.
Pagliarulo could likely have cruised to a decision win, but he stayed after the finish and got it in the third round, which helped set him apart to Dana White to win a UFC contract. And he wants to help magnify men’s mental health awareness.
"I've been through some things and struggles growing up, and even in my adult life. It's hard: There's that feeling like men are supposed to be\ strong, deal with it, stay in silence, and I did that for a long time. It was hard for me. Look what I just did out there. I just got in a f*cking dogfight, went to war, and I'm the one who's going to tell you, 'Let's
talk about your mental health' and go do that and sharpen that up, too. There's nothing weak about that. If someone's got a problem with that, we can talk about it.
"I feel like more guys than this who speak up on that stuff, it gives people some confidence. I know it has. ... It's still a work in progress for me. It's just like fighting. That's how I treat it. It's another thing to train and sharpen, and we've got to take care of that before anything."
Check out Pagliarulo’s full post-fight news conference in the video above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Tom Pagliarulo takes up men’s mental health platform after UFC contract win at DWCS 87
