This Saturday (March 8, 2014) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweights Brad Pickett and Neil Seery will go to war on the main card of UFC Fight Night 37, airing live on Fight Pass from O2 Arena in London, England.
Last seen losing to Michael McDonald at UFC Fight Night 26, Pickett will be making his flyweight debut after losing two of his past three mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts at 135 pounds, Pickett was originally scheduled to face No. 3-ranked flyweight Ian McCall, but yet another injury forced Seery to step in. The development prompted Pickett to question "Uncle Creepy's" toughness with a fake medical diagnosis.
Pickett has always been one of the toughest competitors in the lower weight classes, so Seery has a mountain to climb in his UFC debut. Heading into O2 Arena as a massive favorite, an angry Pickett should deliver a rousing show for his beloved British fans.
Let's take a look at the keys to victory for Pickett vs. Seery:
*****
Brad Pickett
Record: 23-8 overall, 3-3 UFC
Key Wins: Demetrious Johnson (WEC 48), Ivan Menjivar (WEC 53), Mike Easton (UFC on Fuel TV 9)
Key Losses: Michael McDonald (UFC Fight Night 26), Renan Barao (UFC 138), Eddie Wineland (UFC 155)
*****
Neil Seery
Record: 13-9 overall, 0-0 UFC
Key Wins: None
Key Losses: Phil Harris (BAMMA 3)
******
The always-exciting Pickett has won an alarming four "Fight of the Night" and one "Knockout of the Night" bonuses in just six UFC bouts. "One Punch" will be looking to add Seery to his list of victims on Saturday, and the odds would tell you he's going to do just that. With seven knockouts and 10 submissions, Pickett has the well-rounded skillset to contend with any bantamweight or flyweight on the planet.
However, he's been wildly inconsistent against top competition, failing to get over the hump against elite fighters like Barao, McDonald, and Wineland.
Luckily for him, Seery is light years away from that level.
Pickett is going to push the pace early on and look to make an example out of Seery. He's obviously perturbed that his big name bout with McCall fell apart; it's on Seery to take advantage of that emotion. That won't be easy, as Seery's MMA career has been marred by extreme bouts of inconsistency as well. He's currently on a four-fight win streak, which could give him a degree of confidence heading into UFC Fight Night 37.
Even so, this bout could be billed as not much more than a squash match for Pickett to get a win in his homeland. Seery has five submission wins and Pickett has tapped four times, so the chance for an unlikely finishing hold is there.
It just won't come easily.
It's too bad that we won't get to see Pickett make his flyweight debut against Ian McCall. Kudos to Seery for taking by far the toughest fight of his career on short notice, but as a six-to-one underdog, most will be picking Pickett to knock out his little-known opponent.
If Seery can somehow find a way to win, it might go down as one of the most impressive upsets in Octagon history given the circumstances of the bout. Still, I don't see that happening, as "One Punch" will be mad and ready to put a stamp on Seery.
Look for him to come out swinging and end this one in the first.
Final Prediction: Pickett def. Seery via technical knockout in round one
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