The Southern California native and former Bellator MMA star is extremely talented. To put his talent into perspective, Aaron Pico was signed by Bellator and made his debut on a pay-per-view card straight out of high school. Legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach – best known as Manny Pacquiao‘s head trainer—has only assisted in training two MMA fighters: the first was UFC double champion and all-time great Georges St-Pierre, and the second is Aaron Pico. Training out of the world-class Jackson Wink gym, Pico has access to a wide range of fighters and coaches with championship experience.
There is a history of former Bellator stars struggling in their UFC debuts. Despite a tough debut, many have gone on to have great careers in the UFC cage. Will Aaron Pico be the next name added to that list?
Aaron Pico’s fellow Bellator alumni
Several Bellator fighters like have made the transition to the UFC. While many have found great success, a common theme – and now a trope among fans – is that the spotlight shines too bright the first time out. Most recently, Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix looked nothing like himself in a losing performance against Mario Bautista at UFC 316.
Many of the fighters mentioned on this list went on to achieve great success in the UFC, including becoming champions. Will Aaron Pico have a winning debut like Michael “Venom” Page or Ben Askren, or will he join the list of highly talented fighters from Bellator who didn’t find success in their UFC debut.