Aaron Pico will debut in the UFC against Lerone Murphy in Chicago
Aaron Pico’s highly anticipated UFC debut will materialize against Lerone Murphy at the UFC 319 event in Chicago, the promotion announced on Saturday.
Pico, with a record of 13-4, was originally scheduled to make his first UFC appearance against Movsar Evloev at UFC Fight Night, but Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month. Pico, a long-time prominent figure in Bellator MMA, publicly requested the UFC to schedule him a new fight as soon as possible. His 145-pound matchup 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 modification for the featherweight division. Pico, although never a champion in Bellator, has been considered one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. At 28 years old, he was once considered the most promising prospect in MMA history, with an impressive amateur wrestling and boxing record.
Initially, he would face Evloev, ranked as the number one contender in the division. Now, Pico will focus on Murphy, who remains undefeated but is positioned lower in the rankings than Evloev.
The current featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, does not yet have his next title defense scheduled.
