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Brad Pickett's farewell fight was actually going great for almost 14 minutes.
Pickett afforded himself nicely against Marlon Vera in their 140-pound catchweight bout at UFC Fight Night 107 on March 18. The 38-year-old London native used his well-documented striking skills and timely takedowns to build a lead over Vera through two-and-a-half rounds and stood at the cusp of salting away a decision win in front of his hometown fans in the final fight of his career.
Then, with approximately 1:10 left on the clock, Vera kicked Pickett in the head.
As Pickett's body fell prone to the canvas, Vera attacked with a series of hammerfists that forced the referee to step in and call an end to the fight.