MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with UFC 189 bantamweight Brad Pickett as he prepares for his upcoming main card bout against rising prospect Thomas Almeida at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The veteran has been in the Octagon with some real killers in the past, and he’s hoping to use his grit and experience to pull out a win against the young upstart fighter:
“[Thomas Almeida]’s tough. He comes from a Chute Box background so he has that traditional kind of Chute Box style of stand-up. Way more of a kickboxer. His wrestling’s suspect but he has good hips to get back to the feet. Jiu-jitsu is okay, but he likes to stand-up. He throws knees, elbows, everything. He doesn’t throw with crazy power but it’s more volume and ferocity. He’ll get his TKOs not really with one punch, it’ll be an accumulation of boom, boom, boom. He throws with speed and accuracy, but for me, with my style, he throws more straight and he’s a taller guy than me but he doesn’t use it very well. He likes to fight in the pocket. When someone fights in the pocket, they allow me to land my looping shots and uppercuts. He gets hit as well. He’s very hittable and so am I. That’s why I think it’s gonna be a good fight. He’s had two fights in the UFC and won two bonuses and at bantamweight, I’ve had five fights in the UFC and won four bonuses so this is gonna be a good fight.”