Aaron Pico is lastly within the UFC, and he has his sights set on the very prime.
Earlier this month, Pico ended his free company, signing a multi-fight deal with the UFC after competing completely for Bellator for the primary 17 fights of his profession. Talking lately on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Pico revealed that he virtually made his approach to the octagon a lot sooner.
“Quite a bit folks don’t know this … the UFC had a suggestion, too,” Pico mentioned, when requested about making the transition to MMA from wrestling. “They’d a suggestion however — I’m not going to enter an excessive amount of element — however I wasn’t conscious of it, so I signed with Bellator. And I’m grateful for all the pieces Scott Coker did for me, and Mike Hogan, Wealthy Chou, all these guys have been nice and that’s the place I realized, however once I signed the contract with Bellator, then they let me know after I signed that the UFC was and prepared to work with me. And it’s taken me eight years to get right here. In order that’s simply the way it all went down. …
“Now we’re right here and the work is simply beginning. I don’t desire a participation trophy for the UFC. I desire a belt, and I’m not stopping.”
One of the vital highly-touted prospects in MMA historical past, Pico was an completed freestyle wrestler and boxer earlier than making the transfer to cage preventing in 2017. In his eight years in Bellator, Pico amassed a 13-4 skilled file and established himself as among the best featherweights on the earth. However throughout that point, he at all times had his eye on the UFC, and now that he’s right here, the purpose is gold.
“I’m simply such a competitor, that I’m like, ‘You suppose they’re one of the best? Wait till I get there and I present there’s a complete completely different degree.’ I simply need that chance,” Pico mentioned “… We would like that UFC belt. I wish to go within the historical past books.
“Let’s simply name it what it’s. Patricio is a legend, truthfully, among the best fighters on the earth. He has so many defenses in Bellator and titles and this and that, however on the finish of the day, what does that actually imply? When you don’t have that UFC belt, what does that actually imply?”
Although Pico was rumored to be preventing Movsar Evloev in his debut, that struggle by no means got here to fruition and as an alternative, Pico is now ready on an opponent. And every time that identify and date come, the 28-year-old intends to make an announcement that may catapult him proper to a title struggle in his sophomore outing.
“I’ll say this, I wrote down a purpose — and I wrote this down perhaps eight or 9 months in the past — and I mentioned I wish to be UFC champion by 2026,” Pico mentioned. “That’s what I mentioned. And I imagine I can actually try this. If they provide me the fights, I am going in there and do my job.
“[Ortega] or Aljamain Sterling, any person like that. [Then] I say go straight to the title. I need the title. If I get a very good knockout, why not struggle for the title?”
Beef. Ian Machado Garry accuses Carlos Prates of quitting in loss; Prates responds.
155. Arman Tsarukyan expects Ilia Topuria to get UFC title shot over him.
Enterprise. Dana White reveals how Vince McMahon personally tanked UFC signing with NBC.
Future. Coach Eugene Bareman provides update on Israel Adesanya’s preventing future.
Pitbull. Patricio Pitbull laments lack of urgency at UFC 314, names ideal opponents for subsequent struggle.
PFL. ‘It’s sh*t’: Fabian Edwards feels for different fighters complaining about inactivity in PFL.
MMA Preventing Rankings Present.
Between the Hyperlinks.
Paddy Pimblett UFC 314 vlog.
Jack Slack movie room.
UFC 315 promo.
Merab Dvalishvili practising for Sean O’Malley.
Israel Adesanya and Kamaru Usman again to work within the health club.
Dustin Poirier within the health club as nicely.
Carlos Prates claps again at Ian Machado Garry.
Michael Chandler instructing his son a lesson about resilience after UFC 314.
Figgy Smalls with the pinnacle motion.
Dan Ige is right down to clown.
Darren Till vs. Darren Stewart; Misfits Boxing 21, Could 16.
Per week off! A rarity in MMA so take pleasure in it (or take pleasure in PFL tonight, I suppose), and in the event you’ve bought nothing else to do that weekend, we’re doing very chill, lowkey digital Watch Events for each nights of Wrestlemania. Swing on by the YouTube channel and cling as I study who these persons are and what all of it means on the earth of scripted fight. Love y’all.
– Jed
Ballot
Will Aaron Pico win a UFC title?
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