Former WEC champion Urijah Faber (33-10, 7 KOs, 19 SUBs) will meet veteran Brad Pickett (25-12, 7 KOs, 10 SUBs) at UFC on FOX 22, which takes place Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA. The card airs on Fox starting 8 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds at BookMaker.eu now!
It’s been a long, industrious and historical career for Urijah Faber. And this Saturday, win or lose, it’ll come to an end. The former WEC champion will meet Brad Pickett in his hometown of Sacramento in his retirement bout. Both men are no stranger to exciting fights, giving this bout the potential to be an iconic sendoff for the future Hall of Famer.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu now
Urijah Faber +375
Brad Pickett -470
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -140, under +120
The Case for Faber
Though Faber is just 1-3 in his last four, those losses came against champion Dominick Cruz and top 5 contenders in Frankie Edgar and Jimmie Rivera. It’s clear that while he still has what it takes to be an upper level bantamweight, he’s no longer championship material. At 37, Faber knows it’s time to call it quits instead of fighting Father Time any longer.
The Team Alpha Male captain has maintained an impressive standing primarily through his wrestling and toughness. While his right hand is a decent money punch, it’s never been a real knockout threat. He constantly switches stances and never stops bouncing in and out of range, making him difficult to time and tough to hit clean.
Where Faber truly shines is in scrambles. When coming out of breaks, he always seems to be able to land something significant. If he’s tangling on the mat, Faber’s instincts constantly lead him to advantageous positions. This skill will be especially useful against Pickett, who is known to be wild.
The Case for Pickett
At 38, Pickett’s time is evidently coming to a close as well - the Brit is just 2-5 in his past five fights. He’s a step slower, but seems as durable as ever. His only knockout loss in over 10 years came courtesy of a brutal flying knee from Thomas Almeida.
While Pickett is a wrestle-boxer, he will be at a disadvantage on the mat against a lifelong wrestler like Faber. Luckily for him, he is easily the better striker of the two. “One-Punch” may not really live up to his moniker, but thrives in brawling situations. His head movement is built into his strikes, making him lethal in close exchanges.
Against Faber, Pickett will need to sprawl and use footwork to avoid the clinch. He is quick and agile enough to do so, but it will take immense focus. The Brit isn’t strong enough to get out from underneath Faber’s top ride, so staying on the feet is imperative.
Betting Values
This is a close matchup, and I always tend to favor the better wrestler in these situations. In this case, it’s Faber - who is active enough on the feet to avoid getting lit up and strong enough to take this fight to the mat.
It should also be taken into consideration that Faber is fighting at home in his last-ever matchup. The crowd will be fired up for their local hero, and that can plausibly sway the judges in his favor.
UFC odds pick: Faber UD Pickett
How to Bet
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UFC on Fox 22 takes place on Saturday, December 17, 2016 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA. The card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m. ET.
