Go-for-broke fighter ‘dies by the sword’ in loss to Vera
■ Saturday: Invicta FC 22 (Fight Pass), Kansas City, Missouri
■ March 31: Bellator 175 (Spike), Rosemont, Illinois
■ April 8: UFC 210 (FS1/PPV), Buffalo, New York
■ April 8: Bellator 176 (Spike), Turin, Italy
■ April 14: Bellator 177 (Spike), Budapest, Hungary
■ April 15: UFC on Fox 24 (FS1/ Fox), Kansas City, Missouri
■ April 22: UFC Fight Night 108 (FS2/FS1), Nashville, Tennessee and die by the sword. For me, I wanted to be in a typical Brad Pickett fight, and in a typical Brad Pickett fight, I would have gotten up and kept on fighting. I guess my age didn’t allow that.”
Pickett ends his career 2514 with seven knockouts and 10 submission wins. BADER SIGNS WITH BELLATOR
Light heavyweight Ryan Bader, a Reno native, has signed with Bellator MMA and will make his debut this year.
The McQueen High School graduate has been on the UFC roster since winning Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2008.
He became a free agent after his contract expired following a knockout of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in November.
Bader, who won seven of his last eight UFC fights but never got a title shot, defeated current Bellator light heavyweight champion Phil Davis in January 2015. HARDY NOT ON UFC ‘RADAR’
Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy has been training in Florida for his new career as a professional fighter, but don’t look for the UFC to show an interest anytime soon.
UFC president Dana White told TMZ on Sunday the organization isn’t interested in signing the beleaguered football star until he has proven himself in the cage.
“He would have to win some serious fights to even get on our radar,” White said.
Not that the UFC is completely against looking outside the box. The organization once booked a fight for pro boxer James Toney, and last year former pro wrestler Phil “CM Punk” Brooks made his MMA debut in the UFC.
“We’ve tried some of these things, and they don’t always work out,” White said. “A lot of these fighters have been training since they were kids. He’s been training to play football. He became great at it, but fighting’s a whole different ballgame.”
Hardy, 28, has been training at American Top Team. He played at about 280 pounds and will need to cut to 265 to fight at the heavyweight limit. Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal. com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.