Although UFC and WEC vet Brad Pickett has officially retired from fighting, he isn’t past hitting other men in the face.

But don’t worry: It’s for a noble cause.

As Cage Warriors bantamweight champ’s Nathaniel Wood’s cornerman, Pickett has a few jobs. One of them is, basically, slapping the British prospect before he steps in the cage.

While that might seem a bit excessive for someone whose facial area is going to get targeted soon enough, Pickett has his reasons.

“His dad used to always do that to him before every fight going in,” Pickett said in a Cage Warriors social media clip. “It’s just like tradition. I’ve just filled his dad’s shoes.”

Thankfully, there’s no tragic reason for this. Wood’s father, Pickett explained, is still a big part of his son’s training camps. But, since he just no longer sits in his corner during his scraps, someone needed to step up for the vital face-slapping assignment.

In comes the generous Pickett. But just because he’s taking over someone’s job doesn’t meant he doesn’t get to enjoy it.

“To be honest, it’s one of my favorite things,” Pickett said.

Pickett will most likely be seen on face-slapping duty for Sept. 16’s headliner, when Wood (11-3) meets challenger Josh Reed (7-0) for the promotion’s 135-pound title. Cage Warriors 86 takes place Sept. 16 at Indigo at The O2 in London, and the card streams on UFC Fight Pass.

For more on Cage Warriors 86, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

The Blue Corner is MMAjunkie‘s official blog and is edited by Mike Bohn.

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