Attention mixed martial arts fanatics! Aaron Pico will make his long-awaited debut in the UFC, facing Lerone Murphy at the UFC 319 event in Chicago, as announced by the promotion this Saturday.
Pico (13-4) was originally scheduled to debut against Movsar Evloev at a UFC Fight Night this Saturday. However, Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month. Pico, a prominent figure in Bellator MMA, publicly requested that the UFC schedule him a new fight as soon as possible. His 145-pound fight against Murphy (16-0-1) will be the co-main event of UFC 319, on August 16 in Chicago.
This change is an interesting turn for the featherweight division. Pico, although never a champion in Bellator, is considered 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 impressive achievements in amateur wrestling and boxing.
Initially, Pico was to face Evloev, the number one contender in the division. Now, his focus is on Murphy, who remains undefeated, but is ranked lower than Evloev.
The current featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, does not yet have his next title defense scheduled.
