Brad Pickett: I Have More Punching Power Than Mike Easton

“He’s a tough opponent,” Pickett told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Cheap Seats” show. “He’s top 10 as well, I think, in the UFC rankings. He comes forward a lot with good head movement, and he looks like a very solid [fighter] for the weight class.”

Easton will also be looking to rebound. He had won eight straight before dropping a unanimous decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC on Fox 5 on Dec. 8.

“He’s very athletic and fast,” Pickett said of his opponent. “He’s aggressive, but so am I. I tend to think I’m a bit more aggressive than he is. I think I have more punching power than he does and I don’t really [back up] in a fight. It will be interesting to see who controls the center of the cage.”

The bantamweight bout is scheduled for the main card. The event, which is headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between Alexander Gustafsson and Gegard Mousasi, will take place at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

“If I win this fight, I go in one direction. If I lose this fight, I go in a different direction,” Pickett said. “I’m not really looking past Mike Easton. I’ve been in this boat so many times. When I fought Scott Jorgensen in the WEC and I lost the decision there, he went on and got a title shot. Then I fought Renan Barao. He beat me and he went on to get a title shot. Then I fought Eddie Wineland, and now he’s got a title shot. I seem to be there and thereabouts.”

Not that Pickett expects a win over Easton to earn him a crack at the 135-pound title. An impressive win certainly wouldn’t hurt, though.

“Even if I beat Mike Easton, I’m not right back in the picture,” Pickett said. “If I beat him in devastating fashion, maybe, but I need to beat him, beat him well and then maybe one other fight and then I’ll be back there. But I’m not looking at that too much. Winning always puts me in a good position. My job is just to keep winning.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:21:15).