Aaron Pico’s highly anticipated UFC debut will materialize against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319, which will take place in Chicago, as announced by the promotion on Saturday.
Pico (13-4) was initially scheduled to face Movsar Evloev at UFC Fight Night, but Evloev had to withdraw earlier this month. Given this situation, Pico publicly requested that the UFC find 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, scheduled for August 16 in Chicago.
This change represents an interesting turn for the featherweight division. Pico, although never a champion in Bellator, has long been considered one of the best fighters outside the UFC. At 28 years old, he was at one time one of the most promising prospects in MMA history, with an outstanding career in amateur wrestling and boxing. Originally, Pico was going to face Evloev, who is a top contender in the division. Now, his focus is on Murphy, an undefeated fighter but with a lower ranking than Evloev’s. Currently, the featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, does not have his next title defense scheduled.
