Aaron Pico is shooting straight to the top at UFC 319.
The UFC returns to Chicago for the first time since 2019 with a decent card headlined by middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev.
The fans and even UFC boss Dana White are calling the UFC 319 main event the ‘fight of the year’. Du Plessis and Chimaev have a combined 25-fight win streak and are undefeated in the UFC.
Saturday night’s co-main event was booed at the pre-fight press conference, with former Bellator fighter Aaron Pico getting no love from the fans ahead of his UFC debut against top featherweight contender Lerone Murphy.
Pico’s debut comes on short notice after a failed booking against Movsar Evloev at UFC Abu Dhabi. The 28-year-old went 12-4 in Bellator MMA.
Many were surprised to see Pico get the co-main event slot of a pay-per-view card for his first UFC fight.
- READ MORE: UFC 319 loses third fight in just two days after shocking weight miss leads to latest cancellation
Dana White ‘happy’ to see Aaron Pico get spotlight at UFC 319
Pico isn’t your ordinary UFC debutant. The American is a former Golden Gloves amateur boxing champion and a former medalist in freestyle wrestling.
Pico carries a wealth of experience from Bellator, where he lost multiple times by stoppage at the beginning of his career. Pico has really turned his career around, winning nine out of his last ten fights, seven by finish.
Once billed as the ‘greatest prospect in MMA history’ by Bellator boss Scott Coker (via ESPN), it’s safe to say Dana White sees potential in the debuting Pico to have him co-headline UFC 319.
“Well, people have been interested in Pico for a long time and how he would do in the UFC,” White told FOX 32 Chicago.
“He’s coming in with a bang…
“He’s taking on a guy who’s undefeated in the co-main event on a card like this.
“I’m happy for him at this point in his career to have this type of a fight with this type of attention,” White said of Pico.
Pico’s opponent, Murphy, is currently ranked #6 in the UFC featherweight division. A potential title shot hangs in the balance for the winner of Pico vs. Murphy, with champion Alexander Volkanovski not booked at this moment.
Two Bellator champions dropped their UFC debuts earlier this year
Pico got really close to a Bellator title opportunity a few years ago, but the fighter never got the chance to fight for the featherweight strap.
Signed earlier this year, Pico follows former Bellator champions Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix into the UFC. Despite their greatness in the rival promotion, Pitbull and Mix weren’t able to win their first fights in the Octagon.
Pitbull, who’s considered the Bellator GOAT, lost his debut against former interim champion Yair Rodriguez by decision at UFC 314.
At UFC 316, the final Bellator Bantamweight Champion Patchy Mix dropped his debut to Mario Bautista by decision.
Pitbull eventually bounced back and picked up his first UFC win at 38 when he defeated Dan Ige at UFC 318. Meanwhile, Mix looks for redemption against the debuting Jakub Wiklacz at UFC 320 on Oct. 4.