Aaron Pico becomes latest PFL fighter to part ways with promotion amidst company's friction with Patricio 'Pitbull' and others
12/31/2024 07:51 PM
Aaron Pico is expected to get a call from the UFC and other promotions in free agency.
One of the top featherweights in Mixed Martial Arts, Aaron Pico, is now a free agent.
Pico was rumored to face Patricio ‘Pitbull’ for the Bellator featherweight title before the fight fell through this month. Winner of three straight fights, Pico will now turn his attention to the next chapter of his fighting career after opting not to re-sign with the PFL.
Pico’s release is surprising granted his status as one of the top fighters on the PFL’s roster, especially after the league purchased Bellator last year. Now, Pico will enter free agency as arguably the biggest name on the free agent market.
Aaron Pico to the UFC?
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie‘s Mike Bohn, Pico’s manager Ali Abdelaziz revealed the talented featherweight’s next move.
“[Aaron] Pico was supposed to fight Pitbull in December, but RIZIN [co-promotion with Bellator/PFL] got canceled, and now Pico's contract ran out." Abdelaziz said of Pico. "Pico right now is a free agent. I'm going to do everything I can to help these guys become successful, but I'm also going to do everything I can to make sure my fighters stay regularly competing and have fights, because if they do not have fights, they cannot buy that time back.
“I'm sure the UFC wants him. I'm sure the PFL wants to keep him… Pico's a businessman. Pico likes money. UFC, of course, he would love to become UFC champion, but if PFL can offer me a deal I can't refuse, he's going to take it. But if he said 'I want to go to the UFC', I have to go get an offer from the UFC and PFL can have the right to match it.” (h/t BJPenn)
Pico’s PFL departure comes amidst the league’s ongoing dispute with Pitbull after the longtime Bellator star repeatedly requested his release. As of this writing, the PFL has yet to reveal its intentions regarding Pitbull’s future with the league and whether or not it’ll fulfill Pitbull’s request.
- READ MORE:Jake Paul beats out Cristiano Ronaldo and Conor McGregor for most viewed Instagram reels of 2024
Aaron Pico exploring other options after PFL release
Pico’s ongoing free agency adds to a growing list of issues for the PFL to work through heading into 2025. The league canceled several events in 2024, leading to strife with fighters and several athletes parting ways from the promotion over the last calendar year.
The PFL could potentially re-sign Pico in free agency but will have a steep mountain to climb against a likely UFC pursuit. The league lost the longtime face of its promotion, Kayla Harrison, to the UFC earlier this year.
During his Bellator/PFL tenure, Pico defeated the likes of Henry Corrales, Justin Gonzales, and Pedro Carvalho. He’s spent his entire MMA career in Bellator and was one of the promotion’s homegrown prospects.
- READ MORE:UFC lightweight backtracks on retirement despite leaving gloves in the Octagon after UFC 309 loss
