By Nicholas Cunningham, Hola America News
Aaron Pico (13-4) is no stranger to the hype-machine. When breaking into MMA, eight years ago, he was touted as the sport’s biggest prospect. At UFC 319 in Chicago, IL, he will finally make his debut in the UFC Featherweight division and begin the next chapter to his already impressive mixed-martial arts career. “It’s every fighter’s dream to be in the UFC,” said Pico. “And it’s always been my goal as a kid to be in this position. So, to finally be here is a good thing and I’m soaking it all up and really learning to take it all in and enjoy the process.”
With his original debut cancelled this past July, a new fight with Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) was scheduled for the co-main event next week in Chicago. But Pico was ready to take on whomever the organization deemed fit for him to fight and already has his eyes set on the big prize. “Nobody was really on my radar because I’m the new guy,” explained Pico. “But as time goes on, there’s always one person you want to fight and that’s the champion. That’s one guy that’s always been on my radar because he (Alexander) set the bar so high and is the best fighter in my weight class, so why not go after that guy.”
With the popularity of Latino fighters in the UFC and big events like UFC Noche bringing in more viewers, Pico is excited to be on one of those cards in the future and celebrate his Mexican heritage. “I’m Mexican and a lot of people don’t know that I’m a citizen of Mexico too and I love the culture,” said Pico. “I ride a lot of horses and I spend some time in Mexico too because I have some friends that have some ranches there. I would love to get on a card like that one day.”
As Pico brings in a huge fan base already and an impressive resume as well, he knows that this new chapter for him will be his biggest yet and is ready for all that comes his way. “I’m just really excited to be a part of the UFC organization,” said Pico. “They have the best fans I the world and at the end of the day we do it for the fans that support us and we wouldn’t be able to do it without them. I haven’t even had the first day on the job yet, but I have a lot of work to do and I’m ready to get started. So, August 16th is the first day, and I’m ready to clock in and get to work.”
Aaron Pico will face Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of UFC 319: Du Plessis vs Chimaev live on Pay-Per-View from The United Center in Chicago, IL.
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