Jamie Pickett Reveals He Nearly Bit Off Tongue During Submission Defeat

Sometimes it’s better to tap out than to go out on your shield.

That was the case for Jamie Pickett on Saturday night, when he fell to Kyle Daukaus via submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 1 in their catchweight bout at UFC Fight Night 201. “The Nightwolf” might have been able to hold out until the horn were it not for one key fact: He felt like he was on the verge of losing his tongue – or at least a piece of it.

“Hey guys, no excuse from me. I did my best for the time I had and didn’t go my way,” Pickett wrote on Facebook. “Tongue got caught between my teeth. Felt like I was gonna cut it off so I tapped. I’ll be back but this time with a full training camp.”

Pickett was a short-notice replacement for Julian Marquez, who withdrew from the proposed middleweight bout. As a result, the fight was contested at a 195-pound catchweight. The setback snaps a two-fight winning streak for Pickett, who was coming off back-to-back decision triumphs over Laureano Staropoli and Joseph Holmes.