Speculation as to who Pickett would face in his ACB debut has been rife since the Londoner’s return was announced last month. This evening, Pickett took to Instagram to announce that he will face American veteran Jesse Brock (23-9-0).

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The opponent has been announced Looking forward to getting back in there and doing what I love Brock isn’t coming into my hometown and leaving with a W trust me @acb_mma 91 in London August 11th Message me for tickets

A post shared by Brad “One Punch”Pickett (@one_punch) on Jul 4, 2018 at 1:35pm PDT

Pickett’s last appearance in the cage was also in London, at UFC Fight Night 107 in March 2017. That night, he was denied the fairy tale ending many felt he deserved, closing out his storied professional career with a third round TKO loss to Marlon Vera. Reinvigorated by the stable of top talent surrounding him on a daily basis at Team Titan, Pickett is confident he has plenty more to offer the sport as a competitor and is ready to start the next chapter of his professional life with ACB.

His opponent, Brock, comes into the fight as the Front Street Fights bantamweight champion and has extensive experience in some of the largest promotions in the world, having shared the cage with UFC flyweight champion Demetrius Johnson, Jimmy Rivera, Thiago Alves and Donald Cerrone.

With just one defeat in his last eight fights, the well traveled American will certainly be no pushover for hometown hero, Pickett.

Young got the call to fill a spot as a last minute replacement for the injured Raymison Bruno, who was due to collide with Armenia born Narek Avagyan in the “land down under”.

I caught up with Andy to reflect on his loss to Creighton, and subsequent quick turnaround as he looks to get back on the proverbial horse in Australia. Here’s what he had to say…

Brad Dalrymple: “You were unlucky with the Brave CF 13 fight, it was a cracking contest. MMAMotion sources confirm you have a fight signed at ACB in Australia. How has this came about?”

Andy Young: “Thanks, I felt amazing in there just a silly mistake. [In respect to the ACB call,] my coach Rodney messaged me with the offer the next day [after Brave 13] and I accepted straight away. Narek Avagyan’s opponent pulled out and I’m ready and itching to go again and I am hoping to set things right. Also, my teammate Alan Philpott is on the card, so it is even better.”

BD: So stylistically, is there a huge change in prep (all be it its a short turnaround) to the Creighton matchup?

AY: Not really, I’m experienced and well-rounded enough to deal with anyone anyway.

BD: I was more so getting at the fact that Creighton is well rounded, but predominantly a striking base. Narek is more of a grappling/submission style. Do you feel the prep you have done for Creighton is transferable to this one? And, were there any notable bumps or knocks coming out of the Creighton fight?

AY: I don’t feel it will be an issue. I fought Ali Bagautinov and felt fine – Narek is not going to be his level. I can adapt very quickly. As for bumps or knocks, no, I didn’t sustain anything so I am good to go!

BD: That’s good to hear. So do you feel being so fresh off the Creighton fight is an advantage going in to another bout so soon? In your opinion, is getting straight back in there an advantage rather than disadvantage?

AY: Yeah, definitely. He [Narek] has less time to prepare for me, and I am so fresh after the last one I will only perform better.

BD: So promotion-wise, are you now signed with ACB for just one fight, or do you have a longer contract?

AY: I am signed for one fight with ACB at the moment.

BD: What are the keys to beating Narek and what are the lessons learned from the Creighton fight?

AY: I feel my keys to winning are staying sharp, playing to my strengths and finishing him on the feet. I’m not going to play into his grappling, as thats where he wants to be. In the Creighton fight I felt was great, and I was taking over on the feet – if I’m doing great, I will stay there. I didn’t need to look for a takedown [but I tried to get one] and left myself open doing it. So this time, I will be smarter.

BD: That makes sense and I am looking forward to seeing you back in action. So to conclude, do you have a message for Narek?

AY: Narek looks exciting lets put on a great fight and show me your best.

ACB88 will go down in Brisbane this Saturday. It also hosts an array of exciting matchups, including well accomplished fighters such as Muay Thai specialist Chris Camozzi, a hungry and talented Luke Barnatt, and a multitude of Australian talent ready to put on a show in front of a home crowd.

Keep checking back as we will be updating this page with live results as they happen. For round by round commentary and updates, head over to the MMAMotion twitter page from 6pm BST.

ACB 87 Live Results

• Kane Mousah vs. Robert Whiteford
  • Whiteford wins via split decision

• Piotr Strus vs. Fernando Gonzalez
  • Strus wins via split decision

• Pietro Menga vs. Takeya Mizugaki
  • Mizugaki wins via unanimous decision

• Ibragim Chuzhigaev vs. Mike Rhodes
  • Chuzhigaev wins via unanimous decision

• Robert Emerson vs. Shamil Shakhbulatov
  • Emerson wins via unanimous decision

• Andre Winner vs. Adam Aliev
  • Winner wins via second round submission (rear naked choke)

• Alex Gilpin vs. Adlan Mamaev
  • Gilpin wins via third round submission 

• Sam Boult vs. Stansilav Vlasenko
  • Vlasenko wins via split decision

• Regis Sugden vs. Stephen Martin
  • Martin wins via third round submission (arm triangle choke)

• Dean Garnett vs. Dominique Wooding
  • Garnett wins by split decision

• Ashley Reece vs. Adam Proctor
  • Proctor wins via unanimous decision

• Chris Miah vs. Carlos Abreu
  • Abreu wins via split decision

• George McManus vs Kevin Mullen
  • Mullen wins via second round TKO

• Murad Magomedov vs Paulinho Capoeira
  • Magomedov wins via unanimous decision

Across the cage from Cooper will be his compatriot, Adam “Primetime” Townsend (18-5-0). The twenty-nine-year-old got his ACB career off to a flying start, submitting Husein Kushagov at ACB 70, before slipping to a narrow decision defeat to Arbi Agujev at ACB 74 last November. ACB 88 will be the first time that Townsend has competed for the Australian fans and with fourteen of his eighteen wins coming inside the distance, it would be fair for them to expect fireworks.

England’s Andrew Fisher (17-8-1) will venture to Australia for the first time as he enters the eleventh year of his career. The fourth-ranked ACB featherweight will look to build on impressive wins over Niklas Backstrom and Akop Stepanyan to strengthen his case for a crack at the title in the 145lbs division.

Mixed martial arts veteran Luis Palomino (26-15-0) will be across the cage from Fisher in Brisbane. The Peruvian knockout artist has had a mixed start to life at ACB, having picked up two victories, followed by back-to-back decision losses to current champion Yusuf Raisov and Lom-Ali Eskijew. A win for Palomino in Brisbane would fire the heavy handed Peruvian back to the top ten in the ACB featherweight rankings.

ACB 88 marks the promotion’s second visit to Australia, with ACB 76 taking place on the Gold Coast on December 9^th 2017. It will mark the first major MMA event to hit Brisbane since 2016.

At just twenty-years-old, Trent Girdham (8-1) is an elite prospect in Australia. Unbeaten on home territory, the Sydney-based man has claimed four submission victories in his eight professional bouts. After claiming a victory on his promotional debut at ACB 76 last December, submitting Tim Moore in the second round with a slick armlock, Girdham went on to pick up his first professional defeat at ACB 84 against Rany Saadeh, tapping to a first round heel hook.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, by way of Guam in Micronesia, Kyle Reyes (12-5) makes his return to the ACB cage almost eighteen months on from earning the fight of the night award at ACB 51. Having previously fought Australians Alexander Volkanovski and Rory O’Connell, Reyes will be aiming to add to his eight submission victories on June 16th in Brisbane.

Unbeaten on Australian soil, Charlie Alaniz (11-3) is set to make his ACB debut in Brisbane having previously held two flyweight titles on the domestic scene. With four submission wins and three knockouts among his eleven career victories, the Melbourne man will hope to remain his incredible record in home territory.

Having previously competed at bantamweight, 29-year-old Shannon Ross (10-4) has successfully moved to 125lbs, claiming two consecutive victories including a first-round knockout of Ste Nightingale at ACB 76 last December. The heavy handed Ross has demonstrated his knockout credentials, with more than half of his victories coming by way of a stoppage.

Ticketing information will be released over the weekend. For instructions on how to purchase tickets stay tuned to ACB’s social network pages.

Australia’s own Corey Nelson (20-6-2) will make his long awaited promotional debut at ACB 88. Nelson was initially set to make his ACB bow at ACB 76 last December, before injury forced the welterweight to withdraw. Nelson will find himself in familiar territory in Brisbane having fought just once outside of his home nation in his 28 fight career. With fifteen of his twenty wins coming by knockout, he’ll be aiming to give the Brisbane fans a reason to celebrate.

Lithuania’s Mindaugas Verbickas (14-6-2) will make his fifth appearance in the ACB cage and is looking to bounce back after suffering consecutive losses for the first time in his career. Verzbickas has fought across Europe, but the “Silent Assassin” will be hoping to silence the home fans when he fights on Australian soil for the first time.

35-year-old Australian Steven Kennedy (25-8) will make his ACB debut in front of a sure-to-be partisan crowd in Brisbane. “The Steamroller” has already kicked off 2018 in style, with a first round submission victory under his belt. Kennedy has a well earned reputation for keeping fights out of the judges hands with nineteen of his twenty-five wins coming inside the distance.

Looking to spoil the party is EJ Brooks (12-5). Brooks has made a successful start to life in the ACB welterweight division, picking up a decision victory over Husein Kushagov at ACB 85 in Rimini, Italy. “The Pretty Boy” brings a four fight win streak into the contest and will doubtless be looking to drag Kennedy into unfamiliar waters, with each of his last nine fights being decided by the judges.

ACB 88 marks the promotion’s second visit to Australia, with ACB 76 taking place on the Gold Coast on December 9^th 2017. It will mark the first major MMA event to hit Brisbane since 2016 and with the promotion promising huge fight announcements in the coming weeks there are plenty more reasons for Australian fight fans to get excited.

Australia’s own Callan Potter (16-6) will make his ACB debut riding an impressive eight fight winning streak, leading to eight consecutive finishes on the Australian MMA circuit. His impressive style has seen none of his twenty-two professional bouts head to the judges’ scorecards.

His opponent needs no introduction. Former Bellator and UFC star Marcin Held (23-7) is set to make his highly anticipated ACB debut in Brisbane, where he will be looking to make his mark on the lightweight division. The Polish jiu-jitsu wizard has shared the cage with the likes of Michael Chandler, Diego Sanchez and Alexander Sarnavskiy during his ten year professional career. On June 16th, the next chapter begins in Australia.

Chase Gormley (14-7) will look to return to the win column following a two fight losing streak on his first venture to Australia, with the 34-year-old heavyweight looking to make an impact on the ACB 265lbs division. Gormley is no stranger to the big stage having shared the cage with Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve during a brief spell with the UFC and is entering the eleventh year of his professional MMA career.

His opponent, hailing from Canada will be 26-year-old Tanner Boser (14-4). After kicking off his ACB career with a pair of decision losses, the heavyweight bounced back with consecutive victories over Dave Cryer and DJ Linderman. “The Bulldozer” has competed in Dubai, St. Petersburg, Montreal and Manchester since signing for ACB but will head down under for the first time in June.

ACB 88 marks the promotion’s second visit to Australia, with ACB 76 taking place on the Gold Coast on December 9^th 2017. It will mark the first major MMA event to hit Brisbane since 2016 and with the promotion promising huge fight announcements in the coming weeks there are plenty of reasons for Australian fight fans to get excited.

The fight will be Silva’s fifth appearance in the ACB cage in under eighteen months, with the Brazilian knock-out artist touching down in Australia for the first time in his illustrious career. Silva brings an impressive record of sixteen stoppages in his twenty victories and has shared the cage with the likes of Alexander Gustafsson, Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida.

I’m very excited to go to Australia. It will be my first time there and the Australian people can expect a good fight as always. Expect an aggressive Thiago Silva and I will knock out Chris Camozzi!” said Silva.

Across the cage from Silva will be Camozzi, who is no stranger to competing in Australia with ACB 88 marking the third time that the American has competed on Aussie soil. 31-year-old Camozzi will be looking to make his mark on the ACB roster in his light heavyweight debut after moving up from middleweight.

“Fighting in Australia is always amazing. The fans there are very knowledgable and love mixed martial arts. I can’t wait to see Brisbane”, said Camozzi.

One thing is for sure, both men will bring it to Brisbane on June 16^th and will leave it all behind for the fans at the Sleeman Sports Complex.

A light-heavyweight bout between Luke Barnatt (14-5-0) and Karol Celinski (15-6-1) has also been announced for the card. 30-year-old Barnatt is unbeaten since his move to 205lbs, with knockout victories over Max Nunes and Maxim Futin at ACB 63 and ACB 81. His impressive performances have seen Luke rise to #7 in the latest ACB light heavyweight rankings.

Celinski is also riding an impressive unbeaten streak, after winning all three of his bouts in the ACB cage, leaving the veteran ranked at #2 in the ACB light heavyweight rankings. Celinski defeated Lukasz Parobiec on his ACB debut, before picking up decision victories over Vinny Magalhaes and Maxim Futin.

ACB 88 marks the promotion’s second visit to Australia, with ACB 76 taking place on the Gold Coast on December 9^th 2017. It will mark the first major MMA event to hit Brisbane since 2016.

Former Cage Warriors and BAMMA star Tim Wilde (12-3-0) will make his ACB debut in a lightweight bout against Berkut Fight Club’s ACB veteran Alibek Achazaev (8-2-0). Wilde has already fought and won twice in 2018 including an impressive KO victory over Anthony Dizy just last weekend. That win took the 30-year-old Staffordshire native’s win streak to three fights with two of those three wins coming by KO/TKO.

Achazaev will be making his eighth appearance under the ACB lights when he faces Wilde in Nottingham. The Grozy based lightweight has never been finished in his ten fight MMA career and after alternating wins and loses in his last four fights, will be looking to build on his decision victory over Oberdan Vieira at ACB 78 in January.

26-year-old Team Titan fighter Chris Miah (8-1-0) is set to make his bantamweight debut when he faces fellow promotional debutant Carlos Abreu (6-2-0). Miah has picked up seven of his eight career wins inside the distance with the sole blot on his record being a decision loss to UFC flyweight Jarred Brooks back in 2016.

Abreu will be making his first appearance outside his native Brazil when he places his two fight winning streak on the line against Miah in Nottingham on May 19th.

ACB 87 will take place on May 19th 2018 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham with Manchester’s Kane Mousa facing Scotland’s Robert Whiteford in the main event. The full fight card is as follows.

• Robert Whiteford  vs.  Kane Mousah
• Scott Askham  vs.  I. Chuzhigaev
• Takeya Mizugaki  vs.  Pietro Menga
• Rob Emerson  vs.  S. Shakhbulatov
• Dean Garnett  vs.  Dominique Wooding
• Piotr Strus  vs.  Fernando Gonzalez
• Andre Winner  vs.  Adam Aliev
• Ashley Reece  vs.  Adam Proctor
• Alex Gilpin  vs.  Adlan Mamaev
• Kyle Nelson  vs.  Amir Elzhurkaev
• Regis Sugden  vs.  Stephen Martin
• Sam Boult  vs.  S. Vlasenko
• Tim Wilde  vs.  Alibek Akhazaev
• Carlos Abreu  vs.  Chris Miah

Winner (21-11-2) returns to the Cage after over eighteen months out, making his ACB debut in Nottingham, just thirty miles from his base at Team Rough House in Leicester. The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 runner up, Winner has shared the Cage with the likes of Dennis Siver, Ross Pearson and Artem Lobov over his thirty three fight, fourteen-year professional career.

Aliev (8-2-0) returns to the lightweight division following two consecutive wins at welterweight. The Berkut Fight Club standout is riding a six-fight winning streak, with the most recent of those coming via a third round TKO victory over Ednilson Barros at ACB 78 in Grozny.

ACB 87 will be headlined by a featherweight contest between Kane Mousah and Robert Whiteford. Tickets are on sale now at www.motorpointarenanottingham.com.

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