Brad Pickett Wants to Retire at UFC London 2017
Brad Pickett Wants to Retire at UFC London 2017
Veteran bantamweight Brad Pickett wants one final go inside the Octagon when UFC returns London in 2017.
Urijah Faber may have gone out with a blaze of glory last weekend at UFC Fight Night Sacramento, but in the fight game, one man's glory almost always means another man's demise.
On the receiving end last weekend was Brad Pickett, who was on the receiving end of his fifth loss in his last six fights.
Speaking for the first time on his podcast with fellow host Bryan Lacey, Pickett described his feelings before the fight with Faber. Suffice to say, it was an emotional, raw episode of the "One Punch Podcast."
"To be honest, I was disappointed in a way. It was great to fight someone like Urijah Faber and the whole thing and we were very pally leading up to it," Pickett said. "At the end of the day, I think people get a real misconception of it. It's a sport, and I've always said this. I've always said I fight because I don't hate what's in front me, but I love what's in front of me—my wife, my kid, my training partners and my coaches. The person in front of me is just an object.
"Some people have the beef and all that, but some fighters need that extra fuel. Some people like it because the fans like it and it gives that extra buzz. Obviously, me, I like it when there's a bit of bad blood between two fighters and these two guys really hate each other. I get that side of things and some people curate that ahead of a fight, but that's just not me, and I got on with Urijah really well."
Pickett then spoke about his feelings following the fight Saturday night. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't satisfied with the way things unfolded.
"With the fight, I was a bit disappointed in myself," Pickett said. "I don't think Urijah hits that hard and I got dropped by Urijah. Don't get me wrong it was a massive left hook, but I'm just thinking to myself, since that Thomas Almeida fight when it was the first time I ever got knocked out in a fight, normally I can get dropped and come back, but fighting, people don't realize is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.
"For me, always throughout my career I've found myself being a very mentally tough person, but I'll be honest—I've been struggling of late. Obviously winning fights breathes confidence, and I remember back in the day when I suffered defeats you'd have the opportunity to go away, fight some lesser competition and build that confidence back up and then go and say, 'I'll fight that guy.' You can't do that in the UFC. They see through you straight away. That's one thing that's always been hard. I've always fought the tough guys."
Pickett then described the mixture of emotions he felt during the fight and after.
"I felt like I was a passenger on his roller-coaster, on his journey to retiring," Pickett said. "It's a tough one to get out of, this mental thing. Everyone who knows me knows I'm mentally tough, I'm tough as a competitor, don't get me wrong, I'll always get up, but it's doubt. It's doubt.
"When you're winning, you think you're invincible, but when you start getting beat, I'm like, in the back of my head you're like you got beat, you got dropped in your last fight. That's when you're really mentally tough."
Pickett then spoke about what was next for him and confirmed that he was hoping for a spot on the March 18 card. According to Pickett, he will retire at UFC Fight Night London.
"I'm looking to get on the London card in March, it's been in the back of my head, but I want to do what Urijah Faber did and retire in [my] hometown," Pickett said. "That's what I really want to do. Now it's time. I'm not doing myself justice, and I don't want to be in the sport just to make up numbers. I love my job, but everything has to come to an end at some point, so I'd rather do it now while I can talk to my son, so I'd rather retire in the O2 in March next year in my hometown.
"The reason why'd do it then--I'd fight later on that year if I have to, but they are going to London and that's where I'm from. I owe it to myself to retire in my hometown. That's where I started fighting and they only go to London once a year so for me I wouldn't want to wait another year. I don't have it in my age or in my body for another year to pass. I want to get in on this March card and hand in my gloves and pursue other ventures you know."
On the receiving end last weekend was Brad Pickett, who was on the receiving end of his fifth loss in his last six fights.
Speaking for the first time on his podcast with fellow host Bryan Lacey, Pickett described his feelings before the fight with Faber. Suffice to say, it was an emotional, raw episode of the "One Punch Podcast."
"To be honest, I was disappointed in a way. It was great to fight someone like Urijah Faber and the whole thing and we were very pally leading up to it," Pickett said. "At the end of the day, I think people get a real misconception of it. It's a sport, and I've always said this. I've always said I fight because I don't hate what's in front me, but I love what's in front of me—my wife, my kid, my training partners and my coaches. The person in front of me is just an object.
"Some people have the beef and all that, but some fighters need that extra fuel. Some people like it because the fans like it and it gives that extra buzz. Obviously, me, I like it when there's a bit of bad blood between two fighters and these two guys really hate each other. I get that side of things and some people curate that ahead of a fight, but that's just not me, and I got on with Urijah really well."
Pickett then spoke about his feelings following the fight Saturday night. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't satisfied with the way things unfolded.
"With the fight, I was a bit disappointed in myself," Pickett said. "I don't think Urijah hits that hard and I got dropped by Urijah. Don't get me wrong it was a massive left hook, but I'm just thinking to myself, since that Thomas Almeida fight when it was the first time I ever got knocked out in a fight, normally I can get dropped and come back, but fighting, people don't realize is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.
"For me, always throughout my career I've found myself being a very mentally tough person, but I'll be honest—I've been struggling of late. Obviously winning fights breathes confidence, and I remember back in the day when I suffered defeats you'd have the opportunity to go away, fight some lesser competition and build that confidence back up and then go and say, 'I'll fight that guy.' You can't do that in the UFC. They see through you straight away. That's one thing that's always been hard. I've always fought the tough guys."
Pickett then described the mixture of emotions he felt during the fight and after.
"I felt like I was a passenger on his roller-coaster, on his journey to retiring," Pickett said. "It's a tough one to get out of, this mental thing. Everyone who knows me knows I'm mentally tough, I'm tough as a competitor, don't get me wrong, I'll always get up, but it's doubt. It's doubt.
"When you're winning, you think you're invincible, but when you start getting beat, I'm like, in the back of my head you're like you got beat, you got dropped in your last fight. That's when you're really mentally tough."
Pickett then spoke about what was next for him and confirmed that he was hoping for a spot on the March 18 card. According to Pickett, he will retire at UFC Fight Night London.
"I'm looking to get on the London card in March, it's been in the back of my head, but I want to do what Urijah Faber did and retire in [my] hometown," Pickett said. "That's what I really want to do. Now it's time. I'm not doing myself justice, and I don't want to be in the sport just to make up numbers. I love my job, but everything has to come to an end at some point, so I'd rather do it now while I can talk to my son, so I'd rather retire in the O2 in March next year in my hometown.
"The reason why'd do it then--I'd fight later on that year if I have to, but they are going to London and that's where I'm from. I owe it to myself to retire in my hometown. That's where I started fighting and they only go to London once a year so for me I wouldn't want to wait another year. I don't have it in my age or in my body for another year to pass. I want to get in on this March card and hand in my gloves and pursue other ventures you know."