Aaron Pico Debuts in the UFC Against Lerone Murphy
Aaron Pico’s long-awaited UFC debut finally has a date and opponent. The fight will be against Lerone Murphy at the UFC 319 event, to be held in Chicago.
Pico, with a record of 13-4, was originally scheduled to face Movsar Evloev at a previous event. However, Evloev had to withdraw from the fight earlier in the month.
Pico, who stood out in Bellator MMA, requested a new opportunity to fight as soon as possible from the UFC. The fight at 145 pounds against Murphy (16-0-1) will be the co-main event of UFC 319, scheduled for August 16 in Chicago.
This change represents an interesting turn for the featherweight division. Pico, although he was not a champion in Bellator, has been recognized as one of the best fighters outside the UFC. At 28 years old, he was considered one of the most promising prospects in MMA history, with an outstanding career in amateur wrestling and boxing.
Instead of facing Evloev, who is a high-ranking contender in the division, Pico will now face Murphy, an undefeated fighter but with a lower ranking position.
The current featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, does not yet have his next title defense scheduled.
