Jamie Pickett: Let’s Roll

For that reason alone, Pickett has no regrets, and his positive outlook has him feeling confident and excited to get back into the win column at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Gaziev.

The 35-year-old will face veteran middleweight Eryk Anders in the prelim headliner on ESPN+. The matchup with Anders is particularly special for Pickett, who has long admired Anders for changing the game for mixed martial arts in the state of Alabama. Pickett views Anders as a great role model for young athletes in Alabama looking to pick MMA as a viable career path, and he has nothing but respect for “Ya Boi”.

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“He’s been in the game for a long time. He’s been a pioneer from where he’s from – not for the whole sport – but where he’s from, those kids are looking up to him,” Pickett said. “There’s not a lot of MMA in Alabama and there is not a lot of MMA in North Carolina. I appreciate that kind of stuff.

“He’s a pioneer for me, watching him coming up. He’s a person that will make it an ugly fight if he has to. He’ll be technical if he has to. He’ll be durable if he has to. He’s in it to win it. I like Eryk Anders. I also would like to beat him up.”

Having the ability to flip that switch from fan to foe won’t be a problem on Saturday, as Pickett is well aware that he’s in for one heck of a fight. He believes that perfect mixture of respect and competition is going to bring the best out of him against Anders, meaning fight fans are in for a treat.

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“Who doesn’t want to see Eryk Anders fight?” Pickett laughed. “Eryk Anders is still Eryk Anders, and I’ve been building a name, too. Win or lose, people know I’m coming and I’m going to fight you. It’s going to be a good fight. There will be blood. Let’s roll.

“I’m going to elbow him in the face a lot; that’s the plan. Before, respect him. Inside, respect him, but I’m also going to disrespect him. Then after the fight, win lose or draw, I will walk up and shake his hand and tell him ‘I’ve been a fan for a long time’ because I’m not a bad guy.”

Sticking to the game plan and implementing the game plan is a major area that Pickett knows he has to excel at this weekend, as it’s been tough for him to start fast in the past and make his opponent fight his fight. He knows he can’t make that mistake against Anders or else he’ll have to fight at close range and play right into the power of his opponent.

Fighting someone he respects as much as Anders is an important moment for Pickett, and it’s just as important as “The Night Wolf” putting an end to his four-fight losing streak. That’s what makes this opportunity so special for Pickett, because he can make a memory to last a lifetime and right the ship in the same night – it’s the golden opportunity.

And while retirement isn’t on Pickett’s mind, when it does come time for Pickett to hang up his four-ounce gloves, he’s going to have some wild stories to tell his children and grandchildren. He plans on having a man cave and framing the shorts from this weekend with a simple label to remember them by.

“The shorts will be hanging in my man cave,” Pickett said. “They’ll be signed ‘Win against Eryk Anders’.”