"When I first got into the sport, it wasn't even a career path" - Former UFC bantamweight on the growth of MMA in Britain

The rapid growth of Mixed Martial Arts in the United Kingdom mirrors the global rise, with MMA being widely recognised as one of the fastest growing sports on the planet.

As a result of this the United Kingdom has become home to some of the most exciting prospects in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

With emerging talent continuing to rise through the ranks and experienced stars already competing at the highest level, the depth of the British talent pool appears stronger than ever.

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The United Kingdom did not always have the strong presence in the UFC that it has today.

There was a time when appearances from British fighters were rare, particularly when compared to established mixed martial arts powerhouses such as the United States and Brazil.

During this period, MMA remained a niche sport in Britain, overshadowed by the long-standing popularity and cultural dominance of professional boxing.

In an exclusive interview, former UFC bantamweight and British MMA pioneer Brad Pickett weighed in on the subject, explaining that MMA in the United Kingdom was not what it is today when he competed in the sport:

"For me, when I was growing up in the sport, I had to travel to America to train."

"I was ranked number one in Europe at featherweight, and it wasn't that big here, so there weren't that many professional athletes that I could train with."

"But then I came back, and I've built teams here, and now I have UFC fighters here who don't leave the country, they train here."

"Yeah, so I think nowadays, the level you are doesn't mean you have to travel."

Jayne Russell/Getty Images

Brad Pickett, 47, competed in the organisation back in the 2010s when MMA was still being introduced in the United Kingdom. Pickett said one of the highlights of his career was winning a fight via knockout in his home country:

"Another one would be when I made my return to the UK. I fought in Nottingham."

"I fought a guy called Yves Jabouin, and I won that fight by knockout with an uppercut."

"With the nickname 'One Punch', you need to live up to it every once in a while."

Pickett also said that he is still trying to educate people today about MMA, particularly those who might not be as knowledgeable about the sport:

"It's a completely different landscape to back in my day."

"Like I said, that's why I spend a lot of my time trying to help educate people."

"I did put it upon myself to change the view."

"Now, as you say, it's classed as a sport, and if you're a good athlete as a young kid, you can go, 'Right, I want to be an MMA fighter,' because this could be a career path for me."

Victory over Demetrious Johnson

Although still a relatively young fighter at the time, Pickett holds an impressive win over one of the widely regarded greatest of all time, flyweight Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson. Pickett enjoyed an impressive UFC run and reflected on that victory:

"That win has aged very well."

"But at the time, when I fought him, he was 14-0 and I was 19-4, and I was like, 'I'm going to beat this guy.'"

"There was a lot of hype around him."

"Obviously, what he's gone on to do has been remarkable."

ONE Championship

Since retiring from mixed martial arts in March 2017, following a TKO defeat to Marlon 'Chito' Vera, Pickett has gone on to become a highly successful coach in British MMA. He coaches at GB Top Team, where he trains several top British UFC prospects such as Nathaniel Wood and Lone'er Kavanagh. 

Kavanagh recently entered the bantamweight top 10 after securing a major upset win over Mexico's Brandon Moreno in his home country. Another big victory in the division could see Kavanagh earn a shot at UFC gold. 

"He's there, you know." 

"Another really impressive win against an opponent like Brandon Royval, who's right there." 

"I think he's definitely next in line." (For a title shot) 

Amy Kaplan

When asked what it meant to coach such high-level British MMA prospects at GB Top Team, Pickett said: 

"For me, coaching came quite naturally because I coached throughout my career." 

"I'm still competitive now as a coach, but now I'm competitive through my fighters. I want my fighters to do really well, and my team is doing really well." 

"I'm very proud of my team." 

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