UFC 138: Brad Pickett could be shoo-in for first British UFC champion

Mixed martial artist Brad Pickett has lived an incongruous existence

where the worlds of sport and fashion collide.

Pickett, 33, is rated as a top 10 bantamweight (135lbs) in the world,

and has been tipped to become the first British Ultimate Fighting

Championship world title holder.

Tonight, at UFC 138 at the LG Arena in Birmingham, Pickett will be

looking to create fireworks of his own against highly-rated Brazilian

star Renan Barao, on a 26-fight unbeaten streak.

Schooled in east London, then Delhi, followed by an American

International School in the Himalayas (where he fought off packs of

scavenging monkeys between boarding house and school house) and Oundle

–he grew up around the fashion industry, with customers Elton John and

Mick Jagger dropping into his parents’ bespoke shoe shop in London.

Pickett’s parents – Sid and Sheila – were prominent shoe designers,

his mother having taught at the London School of Fashion, where one of

her protégés was Patrick Cox. In the late Eighties, they went into

business with a prominent Indian entrepreneur, Ajay Kalsi, whose

wealth today is estimated at $1.7billion. It meant a move to Delhi to

set up four factories, train the machinists, and educate the pattern

designers.

“It was an amazing experience living in India, but it was in the

Himalayas that I really discovered that I have great cardio-vascular

strength, as cross-country was something I excelled in there,” Pickett

told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

“I worked in the family firm – I can design shoes myself — but sport

was always my first love.” Pickett flirted with careers in

semi-professional football and amateur boxing, but began training in

martial arts eight years ago in order to train as a stuntman.

“I just took to it straightaway, and was quickly addicted. What’s

exciting at the moment is the fast-moving developments both within the

sport itself, and the growing fanbase worldwide. To get into the UFC

is great, but I’ve got to get the ‘W’ now against Renan Barao, who is

very, very skilful.”

If Pickett can extend his winning run he will move close to a title

shot against UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. No British

fighter has won a UFC belt since the fighting organisation was formed

back in 1993.

Mixed martial artists use a combination of boxing, taekwondo, judo,

wrestling and jiu-jitsu to win on points, by submission, or knockout,

over three five-minute rounds. Pickett is as dangerous on the mat as

he is in the stand-up boxing and striking.

There are eight British fighters are on the card, including rising

British star Terry Etim, who faces Hawaiian Eddie Faalato. Che Mills,

Vaughan Lee, John Maguire and Philip DeFries are all on UFC debut.

Heavyweight DeFries faces Liverpudlian Rob Broughton, to establish the

British No 1, while featherweight Jason Young has a tough assignment

against Japanese wrestler and judo expert Michihiro Omigawa.

TELEGRAPH MAIN CARD PICKS:

Munoz

Pickett

Alves

Etim

Diabate