In just a matter of days Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett will make his final walk to the Octagon. A walk many fans have become accustomed to seeing him undertake whilst he occasionally reads his newspaper but always with his trade mark braces, cut off jeans and Trilby hat.
Pickett who has rarely been in a boring fight has earned a legion of fans globally who have fallen for his come forward style, a style that will be missed when he leaves his 4oz gloves in the octagon and calls it a day. On 18th March retirement will have finally come for one of the UFC’s most exciting Bantamweights.
A favorite of Dana White Pickett will leave the sport as a legend having fought a who’s who of mixed martial artists, but crucially he’s doing so at a time of his choosing and on his own terms.
“I’m 38 now and it’s a really hard thing to do” Pickett said to WHOATV. “I want to leave with a bit of dignity. You don’t get easy fights in the UFC. It’s a really tough sport. I want to leave the sport on my terms instead of the UFC saying ‘see you later’.
Whilst Pickett will exit the Octagon for the last time when he takes on Mexico’s Henry Briones on home soil at London’s 02 Arena he has no plans to shelve his love for mixed martial arts “Not a lot of people have a get out plan because they haven’t been in the game for that long” Pickett said. “I want to pass my knowledge on and help younger athletes go to achieve great things. I think I’d be a good coach, I want to create my own Great Britain Top Team.”