J-W's Pico takes the next big leap in his MMA career
Albuquerque MMA fighter Aaron Pico, left, shown in an April 2022 fight against Adli Edwards, is scheduled to make his long-awaited UFC debut on Saturday in Chicago against England鈥檚 Lerone Murphy.
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If someone had told Aaron Pico back in 2017 that eight years later he still wouldn鈥檛 be a champion in MMA, he likely wouldn鈥檛 have believed it. He wouldn鈥檛 have been alone.
But here he is, never a Bellator champion after 17 fights in that organization and, Saturday night, fighting in the UFC for the first time.
If he beats No. 6 featherweight contender Lerone Murphy on UFC 319 in Chicago, would that be enough to get Pico a shot at champion Alexander Vokonovski? Probably not. But, certainly, it would bring him a giant step closer.
鈥淗ow would I describe my journey?鈥� Pico, a California native who trains in Albuquerque at Jackson-Wink MMA, said at a Wednesday news conference. 鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 been a tough one. I didn鈥檛 have an easy path to get here.鈥�
No, he did not.
After having nearly made the U.S. wrestling Olympic team as a teenager, Pico 鈥� amid considerable fanfare 鈥� signed with Bellator, which threw him into deep water immediately.
Immensely talented but lacking experience, he lost three of his first seven fights.
He rallied impressively, using highly developed wrestling skills and his fast, powerful hands to win his next six fights 鈥� drawing ever closer to a Bellator title shot. But a shoulder separation suffered early in an October 2022 fight, leading to a loss to Jeremy Kennedy by TKO, set him back.
Again, he rallied 鈥� defeating James Gonzalez, Pedro Carvalho and Henry Corrales, the latter two by first-round TKO with ferocious ground-and-pound.
But as Bellator struggled as an organization, Pico set about negotiating his way out of his contract.
Finally, almost 18 months after the Corrales fight, his UFC debut has arrived. Originally scheduled to face No. 1 contender Movsar Evloev on July 28 in Abu Dhabi, he鈥檚 now matched against Murphy after Evloev withdrew due to an injury.
Just as Bellator did him no competitive favors back in 2017, nor is the UFC. Murphy brings a 16-0-1 record into Saturday鈥檚 fight, the co-main event 鈥� below a middleweight title fight between challenger Khamzat Chimaev and champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Pico wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. At the ripe, old age of 28, he鈥檚 ready, willing and eager for whatever and whomever the UFC throws at him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so surreal to be here, finally, after all the years of ups and downs, to be in a place where I鈥檝e always wanted to be,鈥� he said.
Pico related a conversation he鈥檇 had with his 4-year-old son, Valentino, after signing with the UFC.
鈥淲hen I told him, 鈥楧ad鈥檚 gonna fight in the UFC on TV,鈥� he said, 鈥榃ow, Dad, you鈥檙e finally a professional.鈥�
鈥淎nd I said, 鈥榊eah, Dad鈥檚 finally a professional.鈥欌��
Murphy鈥檚 response has been, essentially, welcome to the big leagues, kid.
鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 going to be a great fight,鈥� Murphy, a native of Manchester, England, said in an interview with the website . 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 probably the toughest matchup I鈥檝e had stylistically ... but I think I can find holes (in Pico鈥檚 game) and I believe I鈥檓 going to come out victorious.鈥�
鈥�.. And I want to finish him.鈥�
Of course he does. But finishing his opponents 鈥� only two of his 13 victories have gone to the judges 鈥� has been what Pico does best.
Asked at Wednesday鈥檚 news conference to finish the sentence, 鈥淒on鈥檛 blink, because,鈥� Pico responded:
鈥淟eft hook鈥檚 coming.鈥�
As of Friday afternoon, oddsmakers saw Pico as a minus-250 betting favorite, meaning a wager of $250 on Pico to win would produce a profit of $100.
Murphy was listed at plus-205, meaning a wager of $100 on the Englishman to win would produce a profit of $205.
