Bellator featherweight Aaron Pico is ready for the next chapter of his MMA career after the initial hype.
Aaron Pico has had quite the unique start to his MMA career. After a successful Olympic career in freestyle wrestling, he made the move to MMA and signed with Bellator, to the chagrin of many combat sports fans.
Pico’s addition to the Bellator roster came with a mountain of hype. But, after some early struggles, Pico’s hype train came to a screeching halt.
Pico has turned things around since back-to-back losses in 2019, with four straight finishes in the Bellator cage. His recent successes have catapulted him from a relative outcast in the featherweight division to a Top 5 contender.
Pico is set to face Justin Gonzales in a matchup of top featherweights at Bellator 271. During a recent interview with FanSided MMA, he spoke about what the biggest difference has been for him since he first entered the MMA scene with immense expectations.
“I don’t care what people have to say, that’s the biggest thing for me,” Pico told FanSided MMA. “Being a young kid in the game, of course, you look for approval from other people. But at the end of the day, I stay in my lane and do my job and then I come home.”
“I learned that win or lose, you gotta turn around and get better,” Pico continued. “I know that no matter what I can dig myself out of a hole. It was a tough time in my life, to be honest, but my team and I were able to work through it.”
Aaron Pico faces undefeated Justin Gonzales at Bellator 271
While Pico has improved his standup with each fight, his go-to strategy is with his wrestling. During his most recent win against Aiden Lee, Pico looked unstoppable as he smothered Lee en route to a third-round submission.
Pico’s MMA career began with a lot of expectations, but he fell short of those lofty marks. Now, he has the opportunity to move one step closer to silencing the doubters and realizing his full potential.