Aaron Pico’s highly anticipated UFC debut is scheduled for July 26th, facing Movsar Evloev in a five-round bout.
This exciting matchup in the featherweight category (145 pounds) will serve as the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night to be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The card will be headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder.
Pico, with a record of 13-4, has developed his entire career in mixed martial arts outside of the UFC. He signed a development contract with Bellator MMA in 2014, debuting three years later. In his last 10 fights, he has achieved an impressive record of 9-1, and was in line for a featherweight title opportunity in Bellator before the promotion was absorbed by the PFL earlier this year.
In his first UFC appearance, Pico will face a tough opponent. Evloev, from Russia, with an undefeated record of 19-0, has proven his worth over more than a decade of competition and currently holds the number 4 spot in the UFC featherweight rankings. Evloev has had difficulty getting high-profile opportunities, partly due to his high decision rate. Evloev’s nine UFC wins have been by decision.
The winner of this fight will position themselves as a strong contender for a future UFC title opportunity. The current champion, Alexander Volkanovski, has not yet scheduled his next title defense.
