Visions of a storybook ending for Brad Pickett melted on the end of a surgical Marlon Vera strike.
A short-notice fill-in for the injured Enrique Briones, “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” semifinalist put away the retiring Pickett with a third-round head kick and follow-up punches in their UFC Fight Night 107 bantamweight showcase on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. Vera, who was listed as a modest +127 underdog by BetDSI.com, closed the book on the American Top Team standout 3:50 into Round 3.
Pickett (-147) was ahead on two of the three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.