Aaron Pico is set to make his second UFC appearance at UFC 327, returning to face Patricio Pitbull after a spinning elbow knockout loss in his Octagon debut.
Pico will meet Pitbull on Sat., April 11, 2026, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, in a matchup that had been discussed but never realized in previous promotions.
Reflecting on the loss to Lerone Murphy, Pico said, "Yeah, I’m not going to lie, after the last loss, I took it a little bit hard," and added, "I was really embarrassed and had some down days, but it’s just part of the game, especially when you put a lot of work into it… You put your life and soul into something, and to come up short on such a big stage, I took it really, really hard."
Pico also detailed the toll of the sport, saying, "I’m very thankful for the fans, don’t get me wrong, but you get the ones who criticize, and they don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes," and, "How much we work, the hunger pains before bed because you’re cutting weight, the toll it takes on families. So yeah, it was tough."
Despite that, Pico said, "It sounds weird because in a way, I don’t like to say this, but I’m happy it happened," explaining, "I had to take a good look in the mirror and assess my game, especially fighting in the UFC." He added that he has worked on "fight IQ, movement, footwork — just becoming a more complete fighter," and concluded, "I’ve been working on a new style these last few months, and I’m excited to show it."
Both Pico and Pitbull are former Bellator fighters, and their matchup had been talked about multiple times under the Bellator banner and during the PFL era, including as a potential "super fight," before finally landing on the UFC 327 card.
