It was a rough start to life in the UFC for Aaron Pico.
Pico became the latest former Bellator standout to jump ship from the PFL to the UFC this year, joining the likes of Patricio Pitbull and Patchy Mix. Both of those two ex-champions were unsuccessful in their debuts, and the UFC 319 newcomer could not do better.
While Pitbull and Mix dropped decisions in their first Octagon appearances, a much more brutal fate awaited the American featherweight in Chicago this past Saturday. Pico was knocked out by Lerone Murphy, who put the 28-year-old out cold with a spinning back elbow inside the first round of the UFC 319 co-main event.
The result sparked concern over Pico’s health as he lay unconscious for a lengthy period and has dented his hopes for a quick rise to Alexander Volkanovski’s title. But he’s been urged to keep his head up by one of the UFC’s top stars.
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Islam Makhachev sends Aaron Pico words of encouragement after UFC 319 setback
Pico issued his first statement on UFC 319 Sunday night, thanking his team and supporters before vowing to come back stronger and sharper.
The American, who trains under the same coach as the legendary Jon Jones, received plenty of support in the comments section from fans, media personalities, and his fellow fighters.
Among the most prominent to send Pico a message was former lightweight and pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev, who had words of encouragement for the newcomer after a devastating first outing under the UFC banner.
“Head up champ,” Makhachev commented.
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Islam Makhachev knows how to bounce back from a UFC knockout loss
When it comes to how Pico rebounds following Saturday’s devastating result, he’ll no doubt be looking to follow in the footsteps of Makhachev.
While the Dagestani won his Octagon debut, Makhachev was knocked out by Adriano Martins in his second UFC fight almost a decade ago.
Since then, the 33-year-old has gone on a run of 15 straight wins. The active streak includes Makhachev’s lightweight title win against Charles Oliveira, back-to-back defenses versus Alexander Volkanovski, and submission triumph at the expense of Renato Moicano last time out.
The next chapter in Makhachev’s illustrious career is expected to come this November, when he is targeting two-division glory against welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena.