Wait, was that the Aaron Pico? The MMA prodigy who signed a multi-year deal when he was still in high school?
Well, the one-time phenom flopped during his UFC debut in August, getting knocked out by Lerone Murphy via spinning back elbow.
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“Yeah, I’m not going to lie,’’ Pico, 29, told reporters this week. “After the last loss, I took it a little hard. I was really embarrassed.’’
Pico will have a chance to atone against Patrício Pitbull in a featherweight bout Saturday, April 11. It’s among the underrated bouts on the UFC 327 card. Others to keep an eye on:
UFC 327 underrated fights to watch
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics, lightweight: Ribovics has collected a performance bonus from his last three bouts for Fight of the Night. He and Gamrot could make it four in a row.
Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker, light heavyweight: This fight is the antidote to the grappling snoozefests. Reyes’ last seven fights have ended in knockouts, as have Walker’s last three fights.
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Cub Swanson vs. Nate Landwehr, featherweight: At 42, Cub Swanson will be fighting Landwehr and Father Time. Landwehr has earned performance bonuses for five of his last seven fights and Swanson’s last two bouts were deemed Fight of the Night.
Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godinez, strawweight: Video of Loopy Godinez’s overhead body slam of Elise Reed in 2023 should have the same effect as smelling salt on Taitana Suarez. Don’t nod off against Godinez. Suarez needs another victory to stay in title contention.
How to watch UFC 327: Prochazka vs. Ulberg
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Time: 9 p.m. ET (main card), 7 p.m. ET (prelims), 5:30 p.m. ET (early prelims)
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Where: Kaseya Center, Miami, Florida
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TV: CBS (prelims and first hour of main card)
UFC 327: Prochazka vs. Ulberg full card
Main
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Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg, light heavyweight
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Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa, light heavyweight
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Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit, heavyweight
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Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker, light heavyweight
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Nate Landwehr vs. Cub Swanson, featherweight
Prelims
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Aaron Pico vs. Patricio Pitbull, featherweight
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Randy Brown vs. Kevin Holland, welterweight
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Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics, lightweight
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Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godinez, women’s strawweight
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Early prelims
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MarQuel Mederos vs. Chris Padilla, lightweight
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Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque, middleweight
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Charles Radtke vs. Francisco Prado, welterweight
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 UFC 327 underrated fights this weekend and how to watch the action
