Aaron Pico already checked off one of the major boxes towards his goal of becoming a UFC world champion. On Saturday, he tries to add another.
The longtime Bellator standout signed with the UFC shortly before UFC 314 in April, and is now set to make his long-awaited octagon debut against Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of UFC 319 in Chicago. Pico was initially slated to face Movsar Evloev at UFC Abu Dhabi in July, but Evloev was forced to withdraw from the contest.
Days after Pico’s signing went public, Alexander Volkanovski regained the featherweight title with a decision victory against Diego Lopes. Should all go well on Saturday, and Pico gets the call to serve as Volkanovski’s next title challenger, the 28-year-old says he welcomes the opportunity to face, in his opinion, the best fighter in the division’s history.
“I feel I match up very well with Volkanovski, and I believe I can beat him,” Pico told MMA Fighting. “The power that I have in my hands, I can get him, and he’s never fought a wrestler like me, But yeah, he, in my opinion, he is the greatest featherweight of all time. What he’s been able to do, to lose the title, then regain the title, I mean that takes a lot and especially [when] he’s getting up there in age, to be able to compete at a high level, I have a lot of respect for him.
“But at the end of the day, he has what I want, and it’s that belt. So if I have to take out Alexander Volkanovski, and I get the opportunity to do it, I’m going to take him out.”
The switch of opponents from Evloev to Murphy was made public three weeks prior to UFC 319, as it was coincidentally announced during the UFC Abu Dhabi broadcast. “The Miracle” hops on the relatively short notice opportunity with an unbeaten record over 17 pro fights. In his most recent outing, Murphy defeated Josh Emmett via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Vegas 105 in April.
Prior to that, Murphy picked up a decision win over Dan Ige at UFC 308 this past October, as well as a victory against Edson Barboza in his first ever UFC main event at UFC Vegas 92 in May 2024.
While Murphy may not have the overall accolades that Evloev has, Pico has been impressed with what he has accomplished, especially over his past three fights.
“They’re all great champions, they’re all great fighters,” Pico said. “Yeah. it’s a whole different style, but to be straight, I like fighting runners. I like guys that have good footwork. Really, I like that, but he’s going to be a tough guy to figure out, especially early on. But I believe my wrestling is better, and my grappling, and my striking, but I’m not taking him lightly or anything like that.
“You look at the guys that he’s fought, the Dan Iges, the Josh Emmetts, the Barbozas, and these guys are the best in the world, and he’s beaten all of them. So, yeah, no walk in the park. …
“It’s a bigger card, a lot more people [watching], It’s a pay-per-view. The only thing I’m really not happy about is it’s a three-round [fight]. I prefer a five-rounder, but you can’t always get what you want.”
As of now, Volkanovski’s first title defense in his current reign as champion has yet to be announced. To get to a possible fight against one of the all-time greats, Pico understands he needs to take care of business in his introduction to the UFC, and the rabid fan base this Saturday in The Windy City.
“I think, at the end of the day, I just got to go out there and do my job,” Pico explained. “If you look at all my fights in the past, they’re all exciting, and I’m not putting pressure on myself, like I’ve got to do this, I’ve got to do that.
“I know I have to go out there and fight like Aaron Pico, and when Aaron Pico fights, he’s exciting. So I just have to let my work speak for itself, and I know after Aug. 16, the fans, the UFC is going to know why they signed me because I’m the best fighter in the world at 145 pounds.”
