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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Days after Pico\u2019s 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\u2019s next title challenger, the 28-year-old says he welcomes the opportunity to face, in his opinion, the best fighter in the division\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel I match up very well with Volkanovski, and I believe I can beat him,\u201d Pico told MMA Fighting. \u201cThe power that I have in my hands, I can get him, and he\u2019s never fought a wrestler like me, But yeah, he, in my opinion, he is the greatest featherweight of all time. What he\u2019s been able to do, to lose the title, then regain the title, I mean that takes a lot and especially [when] he\u2019s getting up there in age, to be able to compete at a high level, I have a lot of respect for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut at the end of the day, he has what I want, and it\u2019s that belt. So if I have to take out Alexander Volkanovski, and I get the opportunity to do it, I\u2019m going to take him out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. \u201cThe Miracle\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re all great champions, they\u2019re all great fighters,\u201d Pico said. \u201cYeah. it\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019m not taking him lightly or anything like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look at the guys that he\u2019s fought, the Dan Iges, the Josh Emmetts, the Barbozas, and these guys are the best in the world, and he\u2019s beaten all of them. So, yeah, no walk in the park. \u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bigger card, a lot more people [watching], It\u2019s a pay-per-view. The only thing I\u2019m really not happy about is it\u2019s a three-round [fight]. I prefer a five-rounder, but you can\u2019t always get what you want.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of now, Volkanovski\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think, at the end of the day, I just got to go out there and do my job,\u201d Pico explained. \u201cIf you look at all my fights in the past, they\u2019re all exciting, and I\u2019m not putting pressure on myself, like I\u2019ve got to do this, I\u2019ve got to do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I have to go out there and fight like Aaron Pico, and when Aaron Pico fights, he\u2019s 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\u2019m the best fighter in the world at 145 pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n