Brad Pickett's grandfather was a bare-knuckle fighter in the 1920s and always wore a trilby hat. Pickett wears one as well and has done so throughout his career. It’s the one detail that made him instantly recognisable in any arena.
The nickname "One Punch" isn’t about his fighting style. It actually comes from Brad Pitt's character in Snatch, since Pickett always wore the hat.
But the fighting was real. Pickett became one of the most entertaining fighters in British MMA history. He is a UFC veteran who earned post-fight bonuses in four of his first five Octagon appearances, and Dana White even named him as one of his favourite fighters to watch. When Pickett retired from competing, he didn’t leave the sport. Instead, he built a gym around it.
That gym is Great Britain Top Team.
What Is Great Britain Top Team?
Great Britain Top Team, known everywhere as GBTT, is a professional mixed martial arts team and training facility in Morden, South London. Founded in 2019, the gym was created with a clear goal: to become the UK's top professional MMA team and to offer a real development pathway for fighters aiming to compete internationally.
The gym is based at the GBTT Academy on Morden Road, a training centre that welcomes both the professional fight team and members of the public at all levels. Coaches teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, boxing, grappling, and Muay Thai, which are the main disciplines of modern MMA. Head coach Brad Pickett works alongside coaches like Ashleigh Grimshaw and Carlton Lieu.
GBTT is also an affiliate of American Top Team, one of the most successful MMA organisations in the world.
Who Trains at GB Top Team?
The professional team includes fighters competing across the UFC, Cage Warriors, PFL, Bellator, and other major international promotions. GBTT is also the largest professional female fight team in the UK.
Nathaniel Wood is the gym's most established UFC fighter. He is known as "The Prospect," a nickname he has truly earned. Wood rose through Cage Warriors, where he won the Bantamweight Championship and defended it twice before getting his UFC contract. He is a submission specialist with strong striking, has competed at featherweight in the UFC for several years, and is still considered one of the most technically complete British fighters in the promotion.
OPRO's ambassador Lone'er Kavanagh is the gym's most talked-about rising talent. He is a flyweight with British, Irish, and Chinese heritage who made his name in Cage Warriors with several standout performances, including a spinning back kick knockout that was widely shared. He earned his UFC contract with a highlight finish on Dana White's Contender Series. Since then, he has competed at UFC Fight Night events in London and headlined UFC Mexico City against former champion Brandon Moreno. As of early 2026, he is ranked in the UFC flyweight top ten and has said he plans to challenge for the title within two years.
Who Founded GB Top Team?
Brad Pickett co-founded GBTT with a business partner who had trained as an amateur and wanted to create a facility to rival the US super gyms he had seen. They aimed to build a place that could develop world-class fighters but also be open to people at every stage of their martial arts journey, including his own daughters.
Pickett's fighting career influenced every part of the gym's operations. He saw first-hand what elite training environments were like, especially during his time with American Top Team, and brought that model to South London. His approach is to focus on making the team as strong as possible, without worrying about what others are doing.
He has been involved in British MMA as a competitor and coach for close to twenty years. The standard of the UK scene today, compared to the early 2000s, reflects the work of people like Pickett, who were competing before the infrastructure existed and building it as they went.
How Does GB Top Team Develop Fighters?
The pathway GBTT follows is one the British MMA scene has refined over the past decade: regional competition, then Cage Warriors, then UFC. Cage Warriors remains the primary proving ground for British and European fighters, and GBTT has consistently produced fighters who have made that transition.
Kavanagh's journey is a clear example: Cage Warriors, Contender Series, then UFC. Nathaniel Wood followed the same path, and the gym's amateur and up-and-coming fighters are being developed in the same way. GBTT’s structure, with morning and evening sessions, professional and recreational training happening simultaneously, and coaches who are either active fighters or former competitors with top-level experience, shows a thoughtful approach to building fighters rather than just providing a place to train.
Where Is GB Top Team Located?
Great Britain Top Team is located at 110 to 112 Morden Road, Morden, Mitcham, CR4 4DA, in South London. The GBTT Academy serves as both the professional team's headquarters and a public training centre, offering classes in MMA, BJJ, boxing, wrestling, and Muay Thai for all ages and skill levels.
GB Top Team and OPRO
OPRO is the official mouthguard partner of Great Britain Top Team. As the gym continues to develop fighters for the UFC and other major international promotions, OPRO's Instant Custom-Fit mouthguard is the preferred protection for the GBTT squad. It doesn’t require a dentist visit, offers a custom fit, and comes with the dental warranty that professional fighters trust. OPRO is also the official mouthguard partner of the UFC.
