Tomorrow night in the co-main event of UFC 319, we are going to see a huge matchup in the featherweight division where the winner will likely vault right into the title picture. It will be the highly anticipated octagon debut of Aaron Pico (13-4) who is jumping right into the thick of things at 145 as he’s taking on the unbeaten Lerone Murphy (16-0-1).
Starting with Pico, this will be his first fight since he stopped Henry Corrales in the first round at the PFL vs Bellator event back in February 2024. PFL had kept him on the shelf and couldn’t get him a fight for an extended period of time. His contract ran out and he immediately signed with the UFC when he could. He was supposed to debut a few weeks ago against Movsar Evloev in a five-round co-main event, but Evloev pulled out of the fight.
Pico was just anxious to fight so the UFC moved him back a few weeks to Chicago and now he’s getting to face Lerone Murphy. Pico was one of the most hyped prospects in history when he made his professional debut in Bellator as a teenager. He got off to a rough start only going 4-3 in his first seven fights. However, since finding the right gym and really focusing on his career, Pico is 9-1 in his last ten with the only loss occurring due to a shoulder injury.
He’ll have his hands full with the unbeaten Murphy. Murphy made his UFC debut back in 2019 where he fought to a draw. Since then, he’s gone 8-0 and in his last fight, he won a decision over the incredibly dangerous Josh Emmett in a fight night main event.
UFC 319 Prediction
I’ve long been an incredibly big fan of Aaron Pico so I’m going to come across as a little biased when I’m breaking down his skills ahead of this fight. In Pico, you’re talking about someone with incredible boxing skills and he truly had Olympic level wrestling. Had he focused on just wrestling, he would’ve made the Olympic team, I fully believe that.
He decided to focus on MMA and now he’s really reaching his full potential. He’s a remarkable athlete and I think he’s been dreaming of the day where he could make his UFC debut. It feels like all the pressure is on Pico here, but this isn’t the same kid who struggled with that pressure years ago.
Lerone Murphy is incredibly dangerous on the feet and his rangey strikes could cause problems for Pico. A key for Pico will be getting inside because if he’s stuck on the outside, I think that Murphy is going to have a ton of success. However, I think the athletic speed and explosion of Pico is going to be the difference at UFC 319.
Don’t be surprised if you see Pico land some big shots with his hands because of the threat of takedowns, but it’s those takedowns that I think are going to be the real difference. While Josh Emmett has a wrestling background and he struggled getting Murphy down, this is another level. I’m expecting Pico to get takedowns and I think you’ll see him get his hand raised tomorrow night in impressive fashion.
Prediction: Aaron Pico by Decision
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