Aaron Pico says he’s “back now” and ready to turn the page as he heads into a featured prelim matchup against Patricio Freire at UFC 327 at the Kaseya Center.
Pico returns after a knockout loss to Lerone Murphy in his UFC debut in August, a setback that sent the highly touted prospect to Morocco to clear his mind and reassess his approach. He enters the bout with a 13-5 professional MMA record and an 0-1 mark in the UFC.
"I'm not going to lie: After the last loss, I took it a little bit hard," Pico said, later adding, "It was very difficult, but I'm back now. So all good."
Pico said the defeat forced him to take a deeper look at his game. "It sounds weird because, in a way, I don't like to say this, but I'm happy that it kind of happened because I really had to take a good look in the mirror and assess my game, especially fighting in the UFC," he said.
He explained that he’s focused on sharpening his Fight IQ and movement over the past few months. "Basically, what I'm saying is I had to really work on a few things: Fight IQ, movement, just all-around things. I did that. I've been training the last few months and working on a new style and just different things. I'm excited on Saturday night to show it."
Pico and Freire were previously scheduled to meet in Bellator before that promotion’s absorption by PFL, and now the matchup lands on the UFC stage at UFC 327.
