A change of opponent for Brad Pickett has done nothing to dampen the mood of his camp at American Top Team and after another testing day at the Florida based facility Pickett is in jovial spirits as he talks to me about what has been somewhat of a rollercoaster of emotions. Since finding out his opponent had changed and then still being baited on Twitter by his feisty former contestant, Ian ‘Uncle Creepy’ McCall, Pickett has handled it all with a healthy touch of Brit stiff upper lip.
I’ve followed the career of ‘One Punch’ since his time in Cage Rage and have always found him to be polite and unassuming so it was a little surprising that he was attracting the kind of disparaging remarks from ‘Uncle Creepy’ that he had done of late, “I’ve never had an opponent talk as much sh*t as he’s done” Pickett tells me, clearly bemused by the whole situation, “For him to continue talking so much sh*t after he’d actually pulled out of the fight was crazy. He’s not fighting me now so he should just shut the f*ck up!”
Reading in between the lines Pickett clearly sees this as unfinished business which he will deal with to once the present order of the day and new opponent, Neil Seeery, is attended to. It’s clear coming into this fight and gaining a spot on the main card that Seery will ‘mean business’. All eyes will be on the Irishman who’ll undoubtably be keen to collect a huge scalp on the night. Pickett is pretty resolute about the situation he is in as he continues, “He has nothing to lose and everything to gain so that makes him dangerous for sure to be honest. I’m just really happy to be fighting I would have hated for all my training to have gone to waste.”
Anyone taking a cursory glance through their Twitter timelines needn’t have looked very far to see the surge of support that Seery was able to gain since the announcement that Ian MCall was out of the fight, something that Pickett is keen to acknowledge,”He got in the UFC on the support of the fans and I’m just so grateful he’s stepped up. I was originally looking for a top 10 guy, the UFC despite their efforts after looking around decided that he was the logical contender.”
Seery is certainly a confident individual perhaps buoyed by the overwhelming support he’s obtained. Within hours of being welcomed into the UFC Seery was already giving his prediction for the outcome of what will undoubtably be dubbed the ‘Peoples Main Event’ In an interview with Irish based media outlet Severe MMA he pointed out in the closing paragraph of the article that “someone’s getting knocked out”
There is a pause in the conversation when I read Seery’s words to Pickett, almost as if he is trying to compose himself and not overreact. After the brief gap in the conversation he offers, ” I’m on my home turf I’m not going to be the underdog here or the villain. I’ve never been knocked out in any of my fights. I’m happy to welcome him into the UFC, I’m sure he’ll be having fights after this one. Just as long as he realises that.”