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Brad Pickett Nearly Retired at UFC Fight Night 84

Brad Pickett Nearly Retired at UFC Fight Night 84

UFC Fight Night 84 came very close to being bantamweight Brad “One Punch” Pickett’s last professional fight. Following his split decision win over Francisco Rivera, the Londoner admitted that if he had lost, he would have retired.

“It didn’t matter who I was facing. It could have been number one in the world or some guy off the street. I just needed to get the win. I went in with that in mind. I was desperate. I was coming off a few loses. I was fighting for my job in there,” he said during the event’s post-fight press conference.

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“Even if I had of lost and they said they would have kept me, I probably would have ended up retiring because I’m not in this sport to just make up the numbers. It’s not about just competing at this level. It’s about good performances and winning,” he added.

Pickett entered the Octagon at the O2 Arena on Saturday coming off three consecutive losses. Had he lost, he would have likely been cut by the organization. With the win, he gained confidence and a brighter outlook on his fighting future.

“In training, I’ve been feeling great. I know I’m 37, but I didn’t start fighting until I was 26. I still think I’ve got some good years left in me. I just needed to get the result. I think that will give me my mojo back. Now that I got that done, I think I’ll move on to better things,” said Pickett.

“My body’s not giving up on me. I’m feeling great in the gym. I’m competing with guys at the highest level at American Top Team, younger than me, and I’m doing well and beating them. It’s not a case that I can’t compete at this level. It’s just that I need to transfer my training to the cage and get the wins,” added the Englishman.

While he was considering retiring, it wasn’t because of his abilities. It was because of his recent record.

“I love my job, so I want to stay on this horse as long as I can. Obviously, as long as I feel like I can still compete at this level and not just be in there to make up the numbers, I’m going to keep fighting.”

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