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UFC’s Aaron Pico fighting smarter: ‘My job is on the line’

April 8, 2026

Chicago. City of Big Shoulders.

Aaron Pico went in there in August like he was Atlas Pico and tried to put it all on his shoulders – the Willis Tower, the United Center, the Bean, every bit of it.

Bright lights, big city. UFC debut. Potential featherweight title shot on the line. Feeling the need to deliver a show-stopping victory. And all that jazz.

“It’s a gamble. It can go one of two ways. You can be the hero. You can be zero,” Pico said with a chuckle. “That’s how life is sometimes.”

At UFC 319, it did not go Pico’s way, forcing him to take a long, hard look at himself. Something had to change.

Pico believes the harsh self-assessment and necessary alterations to his craft will pay off when he returns to the Octagon on Saturday against former Bellator MMA great Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in Miami.

“The thing that was the hardest for me, I think, was just because it was such a big stage, like so many people watching, on a good card that that was … it was …,” Pico said of the stunning, out-of-nowhere, spinning elbow from Lerone Murphy that knocked him out cold.

“I was really sad. I was really, really embarrassed and hurt for a while.”

It was the fourth knockout loss of his career, with one TKO defeat due to a dislocated shoulder. But the hurt wasn’t a physical sort. Pico said he suffered no headaches and his brain scans came back clean.

No, this was a mental malaise. So Pico checked out for a while and traveled the world with his family. Then he faced some hard truths.

‘I need to change some things’

Pico was the aggressor against Murphy, landing combinations and a stiff body shot as well as a takedown and some elbows.

The Whittier native and former St. John Bosco High wrestling standout admits he got careless in a bout viewed by many as a potential No. 1 contender fight. Pico had his sights set on featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski as squarely as he had them on finishing Murphy in crippling style.

“I told myself, we gotta fix some things. You want a job? You gotta fix some things.” Pico, 29, said in an interview Tuesday. “So I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. Yeah, I got a big task on Saturday, but I’m focused. My job is on the line. Let’s just keep it real.”

As Pico (13-5) put it, there had to be a method to his madness. It was all gas and no brakes, which led to a spectacular crash.

And perhaps an enlightenment.

“I looked at myself, I said, ‘OK, if I fought the way that I fought against Lerone Murphy and I was to fight Volkanovski, I’m pretty sure that Volkanovski would, you know, pick me apart, because he’s a veteran and a legend. He’s so good,’” Pico said. “So that loss made me really take a good look in the mirror and say, ‘OK, I need to change some things. In order to be a UFC champion, I have to change some things, and it’s going to be a little uncomfortable.’”

Pico moved his camp from Albuquerque to Morocco, bringing family and coaches along so he could toil against high-level grappler and strikers.

Again, the physical components weren’t the challenge. The former world-class wrestler is known for having no off switch when it comes to training. But training the brain is equally as vital.

“A lot of it was mental. I’m just slowing things down, slowing it down, and really thinking about certain things, of when you’re training and why you’re doing this, and, you know, footwork,” Pico said. “But, yeah, it’s a battle. I mean, not a lot of people understand, you know. MMA mostly, I think, is mental.”

‘Like two samurais meeting at a bridge’

Since Pico’s loss to Murphy, intense training videos have been uncharacteristically seldom on his Instagram page.

The most recent video posted Monday from Miami showed Pico laughing and imploring his team of family and coaches to each get into an ice bath for five minutes. The star of the video? His father Anthony, who without hesitation plunged in like it was a steaming bath.

When asked if he’s ever had a camp like this with more smiles and less pressure, Pico quickly replied: “Never. Never in my life.

“Have fun. You know, just have fun. We got a lot of laughs this fight week and enjoying it, and I have a good group of people around me. But Saturday night, we’re gonna have to go and do our job.”

That job will be against possibly the greatest fighter in Bellator history. Patricio Pitbull (37-8) once ruled that featherweight division and even went up to lightweight and claimed that title as well.

For years, he was the Holy Grail for a promising upstart like Pico. And here they are years later, both having to plead to be freed of their contracts by PFL, months after it bought Bellator in November 2023, and both losers in their UFC debuts.

It very well could be a “loser leaves town” match for Pico and Pitbull, who did salvage his initial loss in the Octagon a year ago by defeating Dan Ige via unanimous decision in July.

“I would say we’re both at a crossroads, like two samurais meeting at a bridge, and only one’s gonna get through,” Pico said. “That’s the way life is.”

Pitbull, 38, has won six of 10 fights since 2021, with one knockout and one submission. He has recently chided Pico for his chin being his weakness.

Pico, however, knows what his weakness has truly been, so expect a more relaxed and calculated performance with no need for a flashy finish.

All that matters is getting that hand raised by whatever means necessary.

“He’s honestly just a blank face to me, but a very tough guy that I know that’s very dangerous,” Pico said. “But if I’m very smart, I pick my spots and use all my skills – like I said, most importantly, be smart – I will be victorious Saturday night, the emphasis on being smart.”

UFC 327

When: Saturday

Where: Kaseya Center, Miami

How to watch: Paramount+ (prelims 2:30 p.m.; main card 6 p.m.)

Orange County Register

News Details

UFC’s Aaron Pico fighting smarter: ‘My job is on the line’

‘I need to change some things’

‘Like two samurais meeting at a bridge’

UFC 327

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