Aaron Pico didn’t get the opposition he was expecting for his next outing, but he isn’t dwelling on it.
Pico is scheduled to meet Losene Keita on the UFC 333 card. Pico was initially set to face Arnold Allen, who couldn’t recover from his injuries in time for the bout. Keita is widely regarded as a dangerous opponent for Pico, who is risking his spot on the UFC featherweight rankings.
Allen also isn’t the only top-ranked 145-pounder who Pico missed out on fighting. Appearing on MMA Junkie Radio, Pico revealed that former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was another name that had been presented to him, but things didn’t pan out.
“It’s been a crazy few months, because I thought I was going to fight Aljamain Sterling,” Pico said. “That’s the fight that I thought I was going to get, but that didn’t go through. So, they told me I was fighting Arnold Allen, and I was really excited. I mean, he’s No. 5, and it’s one step closer up the rankings, but it doesn’t really matter to me to be quite honest with you. What am I even ranked right now, 12 or 13? To be honest with you, I don’t even know.
“If I’m not champion, I’m not really focused on that. I’m not really one of those guys that’s like, ‘Well, I need to protect my ranking and not fight, or I need to fight this guy.’ All that matters to me is to get better, and sitting around and waiting for a ranked guy is not in my agenda. I just want to fight, get experience, and ultimately become a champion. So, whoever they have, I say yes, and I fight.”
Pico is 1-1 under the UFC banner going into his Oct. 24 showdown with Keita. After being knocked out by Lerrone Murphy in his promotional debut, Pico bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.
Do you think Aaron Pico gets past Losene Keita at UFC 333, or does he suffered another setback? Share your prediction in the comments below.
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