Aaron Pico to make anticipated UFC debut vs. Lerone Murphy

Posted by Brett Okamoto | 7 hours ago | Sport | Views: 6


  • Brett OkamotoJul 26, 2025, 10:11 PM

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      Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

Aaron Pico’s highly anticipated debut in the UFC will now take place against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in Chicago, the promotion announced on Saturday.

Pico (13-4) was supposed to make his first UFC appearance opposite Movsar Evloev (19-0) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, but Evloev was forced to withdraw earlier this month. Pico, a longtime standout at Bellator MMA, publicly asked the UFC to rebook him as soon as possible. His 145-pound bout against Murphy (16-0-1) will serve as the UFC 319 co-main event on Aug. 16 in Chicago.

It’s an interesting change for the entire featherweight division. Pico never held a championship in Bellator but has long been viewed as one of the best fighters in the world outside of the UFC. The 28-year-old was once considered arguably the greatest prospect in MMA history, with extensive accolades in amateur wrestling and boxing.

In Evloev, he would have been facing the No. 1-ranked contender in the division. He will now turn his attention to Murphy, who is undefeated but ranked lower than Evloev.

Current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski does not currently have his next title defense booked.



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