McCall: Pickett dropping down to an a$$ kicking
“Coming down to a division where speed is king is kind of a recipe for getting your a$$ kicked if you ask me,” said Ian McCall of UFN 37 opponent Brad Pickett.
Ian McCall, coming off a Fight of the Night win over Iliarde Santos at UFC 163, fights Englishman Brad Pickett at UFC Fight Night 37 on March 8 in London, England.
Pickett, 35, has won five ‘of the Night’ performance bonuses in his last six fights, and is making his flyweight debut, having fought previously at lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight.
“I’m at a 50 percent ratio so far getting bonuses, he’s only going to add to that,” said McCall in a recent interview with MMAFightCorner as transcribed by BloodyElbow. “Hopefully I can get a finish and get Knockout of the Night or Submission of the Night instead of Fight of the Night, or I can do what Alex did and get both of them*.”
“Him coming down to 125 is not always the recipe for revamping your career. You weren’t the fastest bantamweight in the world, and you’re coming down to a division where speed is king. It’s kind of a recipe for getting your ass kicked if you ask me.”
“I don’t mind traveling. If the UFC wants me to be the guy that travels everywhere and beats people up in their hometown, then I’ll be that guy.”
*At UFC on FOX 10 on January 25, Alex Caceres beat Sergio Pettis and made $100,000 taking both Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night honors.