Aaron Pico stated he wants to face either Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy next. Pico explained that a fight with Evloev did not materialize because Evloev became ill, but Pico wishes him well and would still like to fight him. Pico also expressed interest in a rematch with Lerone Murphy, believing he was winning their previous encounter. The commentary suggests it may be premature for the Evloev matchup but approves of the Murphy rematch idea.
Aaron Pico has made clear where he wants his featherweight career to go next, calling out both Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy as his preferred opponents following his most recent outing.
Pico, 29, holds a 14-5 record and competes out of Jackson-Wink MMA. The American stands five-foot-eight with a 70-inch reach and brings a relentless grappling game to the cage, averaging an eye-catching 8.96 takedowns per 15 minutes. He acknowledged that a previously targeted bout with Evloev fell apart after the Russian fell ill, but stated he holds no ill will and remains interested in making that fight happen when the time is right.
Evloev, ranked number one in the featherweight division, enters any potential matchup with a perfect 20-0 record. The 32-year-old from Russia trains out of American Top Team and has built his unbeaten run on a combination of consistent striking — landing 3.91 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy — and a steady takedown attack of 4.78 per 15 minutes.
Pico also pointed to a rematch with Lerone Murphy as a fight he feels strongly about, arguing he was winning their first encounter before it ended. Murphy, nicknamed The Miracle, is ranked number two at featherweight and carries a 17-1-1 record. The 34-year-old Englishman out of Manchester Top Team is one of the division's most active strikers, landing 4.34 significant strikes per minute at 51 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Evloev is the division's top-ranked contender, making any matchup with Pico a significant step up in competition
- A Murphy rematch carries personal stakes for Pico, who believes the first result did not reflect how the fight was going
- Both potential bouts would keep Pico in the thick of featherweight title contention conversations
