Aljamain Sterling explains turning down Aaron Pico fight at UFC 333

Aljamain Sterling says he turned down a chance to return to the Octagon against Aaron Pico on October 24 at UFC 333, a short-notice opportunity that opened up when Arnold Allen withdrew from the card.

Sterling explained that Pico's 1-1 record in the UFC made the fight pointless from his side. He acknowledged that some will accuse him of ducking Pico, but said the matchup did not make sense for him. Instead, he pointed to a bout with 11-0 prospect Kevin Vallejos at UFC Qatar on November 21, which he described as a reward for a fighter who has been in the promotion longer and beaten better opposition.

The fighters involved

Pico, 30, is a Jackson-Wink MMA product from the United States who sits at number 12 in the featherweight rankings. He holds a 14-5 record and has built his game around wrestling, averaging 8.96 takedowns per 15 minutes. He lands 3.88 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy.

Vallejos, 24, is the Argentine featherweight who trains with Brothers of Life MMA and is ranked ninth in the division. Known as "El Chino," he is a switch-stance striker who lands 6.12 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, a volume well above both Allen's and Pico's output. The Octagon record Sterling cites for him is 11-0.

Allen, the 32-year-old Englishman ranked seventh at featherweight, is the fighter whose withdrawal created the opening on the UFC 333 card. He holds a 21-4 record and fights out of Tristar Gym.

Why it matters

• Sterling's refusal highlights how fighters weigh risk and reward when a replacement opportunity arises, especially against an opponent he views as having less to offer.
• A fight with Vallejos would put Sterling against a young, undefeated, high-volume striker ranked inside the featherweight top 10.
• Sterling frames the Qatar matchup as a reward for his own résumé, while Pico, ranked 12th, is left without the opponent who would have been available on October 24.