Aaron Pico Rejects PFL Future, Sets Sights on UFC
Aaron Pico left the PFL and signed with the UFC in April 2025. After a first-round knockout loss to Lerone Murphy in his August debut, he earned UFC wins over Patricio Pitbull and Losene Keita. The UFC records his latest victory as a first-round TKO of Keita at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026.
Aaron Pico’s demand to leave the PFL was a career turning point, but it did not lead to an immediate rise through the featherweight division. He became a free agent in early 2025 and signed with the promotion that April. The organization’s profile of Pico’s signing and debut describes the move from Bellator and the PFL into a new promotion, where he arrived with a long record of experience despite being only 28.
A high-profile debut ended in a sudden loss
Pico made his promotional debut against unbeaten featherweight contender Lerone Murphy in Chicago on August 16, 2025. The matchup was originally expected to be against Movsar Evloev, but Murphy stepped in after that fight fell through. Pico started with forward pressure and looked to make his wrestling and power count. Murphy stayed composed, created space and landed a spinning elbow that knocked Pico out at 3:21 of the first round. The official results record the finish. One loss did not erase Pico’s skills, but it showed how little margin there is when a dangerous opponent can punish an aggressive entry.
He reset and got his first win
Pico returned to the cage in Miami on April 11, 2026, facing former Bellator rival Patricio Pitbull. This time he went the distance and took a unanimous decision, with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. The result delivered a useful reset after a brutal debut and gave him a win over a familiar, accomplished opponent. The event’s official recap and scorecards provide the full result.
That rebound matters because Pico’s ambitions had always been tied to testing himself against elite competition. His wrestling base, explosive entries and heavy hands helped him build a reputation before joining the promotion, but his early run also included setbacks that made development uneven. Moving organizations changed the stage; it could not remove the need to manage distance, defense and patience against top-level opposition.
The move is a beginning, not a guarantee
The more accurate view is that the move opened a new chapter with its own risks. Pico’s first loss was abrupt, while the win over Pitbull showed he could adjust and recover. Those two outcomes leave a more balanced picture than the early prediction: he has the talent and experience to compete at a high level, but his position in the division will depend on what he builds next. His path is now defined by actual performances rather than speculation about where he might sign.
The embedded Luke Thomas interview captures the moment Pico was publicly pushing for a release and a chance to face the sport’s top competition. Seen alongside his later debut and rebound win, it offers useful context for the decision: the ambition was real, but establishing himself in a new organization required more than getting the contract. His first win gave him a foothold; the next fights will show whether he can turn it into a sustained climb.
