Business-like Aaron Pico focused on long-awaited UFC debut – with eye on Alex Volkanovski

USA Today

3 days ago

CHICAGO – Ever since Aaron Pico signed with Bellator as a 17-year-old blue-chip prospect in 2014, it seemed inevitable that he would one day fight in the UFC.
That day comes Saturday at UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) from United Center, where Pico takes on undefeated Lerone Murphy in the featherweight co-main event. It's been a long time coming for Pico, who is focused on keeping a level head during his first UFC fight week.
"It's been amazing, finding a balance of telling myself, 'Wow, it's so surreal to be here finally,'" Pico told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Wednesday's UFC 319 media day. "After all the years of ups and downs to be in a place where I've always wanted to be, I'm just really enjoying it and taking it all in."
After an acrimonious departure from the PFL, which released Pico upon his request, he signed with the UFC in April. Originally booked to fight top-ranked Movsar Evloev on July 26 in Abu Dhabi, the fight fell off after Evloev was forced to withdraw. Pico said he "didn't get too worried" about what would come next after receiving assurances from UFC executive Hunter Campbell, so he remained strict with his diet and training, even as things were in limbo.
In the end, Pico believes an even better version of himself will emerge in his UFC debut.
"I'm glad I'm fighting August 16th, because I'm in even better shape now than I was for the Abu Dhabi card," Pico said.
Pico will enter UFC 319 having won eight of his past nine fights, with his lone defeat coming by way of a shoulder injury suffered in the first round against Jeremy Kennedy in 2022.
Even though his opponent is no longer Evloev, who's No. 1 in the official UFC featherweight rankings, Pico recognizes that he still has a great opportunity to make a splash against No. 6 Murphy, who's riding an eight-fight winning streak and whose only career blemish is a 2019 split draw.
"He's 16-0 for a reason, undefeated in the UFC. He's fought some really tough guys," Pico said. "My team and I have our work cut out for us for Saturday, and I'm not coming in here taking him lightly. … I'm ready for this moment. I just have to do my job Saturday and take care of business."
If that happens, Pico plans on aiming as high as he can, saying he'd want a showdown with Alexander Volkanovski, whose attention Pico got after saying he could knock out the UFC's reigning 145-pound champion. While Pico is confident in that prediction, he's not trying to get too ahead of himself.
"I'm the new guy in this organization, and I'm just gonna be upfront: To have his attention, that's a good thing," Pico said. "But I have to take care of Lerone Murphy. That's all I'm focused on. But Volkanovski has it coming. Yeah, he's not an easy guy to fight, and I'm aware of that. I look at who he's fought in terms of high-level wrestlers, and he's never fought a high-level wrestler like me. (His) time is coming."