UFC 319 features a highly anticipated debut from a fighter that has been tipped for big things for a long time.
Aaron Pico claims he’s been practicing his first UFC interview with Joe Rogan for many years as a way to keep himself on the right path after suffering career setbacks.
There have been huge expectations surrounding the former Bellator star ever since he made his MMA debut, and that’s going to be the same for his first outing inside the Octagon.
Pico wants a shot at featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski if he’s able to get his hand raised on Saturday night when he faces Lerone Murphy.
While the American is an incredibly exciting addition to the roster, his journey to this point in his career has come with several big hurdles that he’s had to overcome.
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Jon Jones told Aaron Pico he was still on the right track despite his stunning KO loss to Henry Corrales
Aaron Pico shockingly lost his pro debut in Bellator but he was able to put this behind him by stringing together four consecutive first round wins.
Many expected him to continue this impressive run at Bellator 214 where he faced off with Henry Corrales in 2019, but this bout ended up leading to concerns around his career.
Pico was knocked out in devastating fashion just past the opening minute of the fight, with criticisms that he got carried away with trying to put Corrales away which led to a huge right hand counter from his opponent.
Joe Rogan was watching the fight via a live podcast companion, with his reaction to the knockout showing just how surprising the result was at the time.
In an interview with MMA Fighting ahead of his return at UFC 235, Jon Jones gave his thoughts on Pico’s loss and offered him some advice.
Shortly after ‘Bones’ spoke about Pico and his career, the exciting prospect made the move to join the same gym as him, the Jackson Wink MMA Academy.
“He’s the guy with the left hook to the body, right?” Jones said. “He body shots people. I just saw the highlight of him being knocked out. My advice to him would be keep your head up. Keep your head up, really.
“Come back to the drawing board. Come back better. It looked like he wasn’t outclassed, it just looked like he got caught. So keep your confidence in the right place, cause obviously you’re on the right track, and come back even better.”
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Aaron Pico showed his improvements in his rematch with Henry Corrales five years later
While Aaron Pico would suffer another knockout loss in his next outing, he would then go on to produce a spectacular run in Bellator, aside from one defeat that was caused by a shoulder injury.
In his final fight with the promotion, after it had been acquired by PFL, a rematch with Henry Corrales ended up taking place due to some late notice changes to the card.
This time around, Pico showed the full range of his game, utilizing his elite wrestling background to dominate Corrales before finishing him with strikes in the opening round.
With a more mature version of Pico now arriving in the UFC after learning from his setbacks, the 28-year-old could prove to be a huge signing if he’s able to find success straight away.