Aaron Pico has a new assignment for his octagon debut, and UFC 319 has a new co-main event.
It was announced on Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi broadcast that Pico (13-4) is set to face undefeated featherweight contender Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) in the co-headlining bout of UFC 319, which takes place at United Center in Chicago on Aug. 16.
Pico was previously tied to a bout with Movsar Evloev that would have taken place on the UFC Abu Dhabi card, but Evloev withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons. Rather than re-book that matchup, the UFC has moved on to a new fight that could produce a future challenger for current 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski.
The 28-year-old Pico competed exclusively under the Bellator banner before the promotion was acquired by PFL, compiling a 13-4 pro record with nine of those wins coming by way of knockout. Pico has won three straight fights and nine of his past 10, with his lone loss coming due to a shoulder injury he suffered during a bout with Jeremy Kennedy. He became a free agent this past December and signed with the UFC the following April.
Murphy, 34, has slowly climbed the featherweight ranks, scoring wins over Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, Edson Barboza, and others to position himself as a top contender. The Englishman is undefeated in 17 pro bouts.
UFC 319 is headlined by a middleweight title bout as champion Dricus du Plessis defends against Khamzat Chimaev.
