Tag Archives: Aaron Pico

Aaron Pico to Make UFC Debut Against Lerone Murphy This August

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Aaron Pico is preparing to hit The Octagon.

The 28-year-old Latino American mixed martial artist’s highly anticipated debut in the UFC will now take place against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in Chicago.

Aaron PicoPico (13-4) was supposed to make his first UFC appearance opposite Movsar Evloev (19-0) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, but Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month.

Pico, a longtime standout at Bellator MMA, publicly asked the UFC to rebook him as soon as possible. His 145-pound bout against Murphy (16-0-1) will serve as the UFC 319 co-main event on August 16 in Chicago.

It’s an interesting change for the entire featherweight division. Pico never held a championship in Bellator but has long been viewed as one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC.

Pico was once considered arguably the greatest prospect in MMA history, with extensive accolades in amateur wrestling and boxing.

In Evloev, he would’ve been facing the No. 1-ranked contender in the division. He will now turn his attention to Murphy, who is undefeated but ranked lower than Evloev.

Current featherweight champion Alexander

Aaron Pico to Make UFC Debut Against Movsar Evloev Next Month

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Aaron Pico is preparing for his big debut…

The 28-year-old Hispanic American mixed martial artist’s UFC debut will come in the form of a five-round bout against Movsar Evloev on July 26.

Aaron PicoThe featherweight (145 pounds) pairing will co-headline UFC Fight Night inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, a card that will be topped by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder

Pico (13-4) has fought his entire MMA career outside of the UFC to this point.

He signed a developmental contract with Bellator MMA in 2014, three years before making his actual debut.

He is 9-1 in his past 10, and was in line for a featherweight title shot in Bellator when the promotion was absorbed by the PFL earlier this year.

He will face a monster of a challenge in his first UFC appearance. Evloev (19-0), of Russia, holds an undefeated record across over a decade of competition and is currently the UFC’s No. 4-ranked featherweight contender. He would likely have vied for a UFC championship by now, but has struggled to book high profile opportunities, in part due to his high decision rate. All nine of his UFC wins have gone the distance.

The winner of this contest will be a strong candidate for a future UFC title shot. Current champion Alexander Volkanovski has not yet booked his next title defense.

Justin Gonzales to Fight Aaron Pico at Bellator’s Bellator 271 in November

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Justin Gonzales is readying for battle…

The 30-year-old Latino mixed martial artist and Aaron Pico, two of Bellator MMA‘s top featherweight prospects, have agreed to meet at Bellator 271 on November 12, according to ESPN.

Justin GonzalesThe promotion is finalizing the details for the bout between Gonzales and Pico, which will take place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The event will air on Showtime. Tickets are expected to go on sale next week.

Pico (8-3) will be seeking his second win of 2021 and fifth consecutive overall. The 25-year-old Latino featherweight made his pro debut in 2017 under extremely high expectations, and got off to a somewhat disappointing 4-3 record. Fighting out of JacksonWink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he has looked phenomenal during this win streak with four straight finishes.

Gonzales (12-0), of Greeley, Colorado, picked up a split decision win against Tywan Claxton in his Bellator debut in June. Gonzalez, 30, is undefeated since turning pro in 2016. He enjoyed a successful amateur career prior to that dating back to 2012.

Aaron Pico to Fight Aiden Lee at Bellator 260 in June

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Aaron Pico has singled out his next opponent…

The 24-year-old Latino mixed martial artist, the top MMA prospect will fight Aiden Lee at Bellator 260 on June 11 at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, according to ESPN.

Aaron Pico 

That card will be broadcast on Showtime and headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Douglas Lima and challenger Yaroslav Amosov.

Pico (7-3) has won three straight — all by finish — after two knockout losses. The California native is 3-1 since making the move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to train at Jackson Wink MMA alongside the likes of former UFC champions Jon Jones and Holly Holm.

Pico was touted as the greatest prospect in MMA history ahead of his 2017 debut in Bellator. He nearly made the Olympics in wrestling and owns a national Golden Gloves boxing title. Pico has had some ups and downs thus far, but he seems to be putting it all together of late.

Lee (9-4) has won two in a row. The 26-year-old England native is coming off a third-round knockout win over Jeremy Petley last September. Lee trains under UFC middleweight Tom Breese.