Aaron Pico will debut in the UFC against Lerone Murphy
The long-awaited debut of Aaron Pico in the UFC finally has a date and opponent. The promotion announced on Saturday that Pico will face Lerone Murphy at UFC 319, which will be held in Chicago.
Pico, with a record of 13-4, was originally scheduled to debut against Movsar Evloev at a UFC Fight Night event. However, Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month.
Following Evloev’s withdrawal, Pico publicly requested the UFC to schedule him a new fight as soon as possible. The 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 turn for the featherweight division. Although Pico was never a champion in Bellator MMA, he has long been considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC.
At 28 years old, Pico was at one point one of the most promising prospects in MMA history, with an outstanding career in amateur wrestling and boxing.
Initially, Pico was going to face Evloev, who is a high-level contender in the division. Now, his attention is focused on Murphy, who, although undefeated, has a lower ranking than Evloev.
The current featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, does not yet have his next title defense scheduled.
