With Both Coming Off Losses, Brad Pickett Expects Fireworks Against Damacio Page

He had been on quite a run before those defeats, though, winning nine straight, and he’ll look to start a similar streak when he takes on Damacio Page on April 14 at UFC on Fuel 2.

“I want to be somebody in this sport, in my weight class,” Pickett told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show.” “To do that, you need to keep winning. That’s why, to me, the pressure’s on. I’m coming off a loss and I don’t want to take two losses at all.”

That’s exactly the position Page is in after dropping back-to-back bouts to Demetrious Johnson and Brian Bowles. If he loses another one, it could cost him his job.

“It could also be something that makes him,” Pickett said of the pressure Page is under. “It could maybe change things up like, ‘Wow, my last two fights didn’t go very well. I need to mix things up. I need to change things around here.’ And he could come in with a completely different mentality. That could happen. I’m not taking him lightly one bit at all. I’ve only suffered two losses in a row once in my career, and off the back of that, I won nine straight.”

It should also be pointed out that Page’s losses came against quality opposition. Bowles caught him fairly quickly with a guillotine choke, but Johnson didn’t finish him until the 2:27 mark of the third round.

“He’s still very experienced and he’s a dangerous opponent,” Pickett said. “It just all depends how his training camp has gone. If he’s had a good training camp or a bad training camp, I don’t know that, but I’m preparing for the best Damacio Page.”

Both Page and Pickett are entertaining bantamweights. The UFC’s Sean Shelby matched them together on the main card of what will be the promotion’s debut in Sweden.

“He sees two guys who are both very aggressive,” Pickett said. “Me and [Page], we’re both aggressive. We both like coming forward. Basically, it’s fireworks.”

Pickett won’t promise to stand toe-to-toe with Page, however. His strategy is to take what the fight gives him, but with that said, he expects a barnburner.

“If you’re going against someone who throws bombs, you’ve got to make sure your hands are up,” Pickett said. “Your hands up, chin down and just basically pick your shots and hopefully catch him when he’s open. He’s probably thinking the exact same thing. Two guys who go out there wild, throwing bombs, may both come into this fight being really cautious and boxing, but I doubt it, to be honest.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 1:16:35).