Aaron Pico, former Bellator star, signs with UFC
Aaron Pico, the former Bellator fighter once considered one of the best prospects in MMA history, has signed with the UFC, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
www.espn.comHere’s the latest I can share based on recent reporting:
- Aaron Pico’s UFC record shows a win at UFC 327 in April 2026, where he defeated Patricio Pitbull by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in Miami, marking his first UFC victory after joining the promotion earlier in 2025. This result brought his official record to 14-5-0 at that time.
- Pico had previously joined the UFC in 2025 after leaving Bellator, with expectations high given his amateur wrestling background and knockout power. His first UFC appearance ended in a knockout loss to Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 in August 2025, which was a setback on a timeline that had included various reported debut plans.
- After the UFC 319 setback, multiple outlets tracked Pico’s path back toward competition, including continued camp notes and manager updates; by April 2026 he had secured a win to balance his UFC record. Additional context from the period includes prior signing reports and coverage of his transition from Bellator to the UFC.
Illustration: A quick snapshot of Pico’s UFC trajectory
- Debut in UFC: planned for 2025, then occurred with a loss to Lerone Murphy (UFC 319) .
- First UFC win: against Patrício Pitbull at UFC 327 (April 11, 2026) by unanimous decision, improving his UFC record to 1-1 in the UFC scope of the article’s framing and contributing to an overall 14-5-0 record.
Would you like a concise, up-to-date table of Pico’s professional MMA record by organization (Bellator, PFL, UFC) with dates and methods, or a short timeline of key fights and turning points? I can pull in more precise event details if you want.