Aaron Pico has a few names in mind. He just isn’t going to fuss over them.
Pico was supposed to face Arnold Allen at UFC 333, but drew Losene Keita instead. He knocked Keita out in the first round to improve to 2-1 in the UFC.
Speaking with MMA Fighting, Pico said anyone ranked above him works, though a couple of fights stand out.
I think anybody ahead of me in the ranking. I’m definitely going to be watching the Aljamain [Sterling] fight very closely. That’s always a possibility. But Lerone Murphy, I’d love to fight him as well. I have no hard feelings against him other than he beat me, and I’d love to avenge that loss. I think I fought really dumb, and he got very, very lucky. But a lot of blessings came after that loss so I’m OK with it.
We’ll see how the Kevin Vallejos and Aljamain Sterling fight goes and if everything goes smooth and no injuries with those guys, maybe that’s a possibility of fighting the winner of that.
Murphy knocked Pico out in his UFC debut. Still, Pico made it clear he isn’t one to pick and choose.
Of course, I have a manager and I let him handle a lot of things and I tell him ‘who do you want me to fight?’ and I always tell my family this, when I’m 60 years old in my rocking chair at my ranch, I want to be able to say I fought whoever they threw at me. I really don’t give a s***.
Some guys are like ‘I can’t fight him because he’s No. 10 or No. 12 and I’m No. 4.’ I truly don’t even look at that.
Pico said he still sees himself as a beginner.
I know I have to fight the best guys in the world. Yeah, of course, it’s going to be a little bit scary. Of course, I’m a little bit nervous going into fights and training camps, but that just is what it is. I’m comfortable with that. If I fight a guy that’s not ranked, it just is what it is. I know if I have that mindset, the belt will come sooner than later.
