Since moving to Jackson-Wink Academy, Aaron Pico has been able to revamp his young career. After dropping bouts against Henry Corrales and Adam Borics, Pico has been victorious in back-to-back fights with Greg Jackson. Pico submitted Solo Hatley Jr. with a rear-naked choke in the first round last night at Bellator 242.
Pico was dominant from the opening bell. Twenty seconds in, he was successful with a single-leg takedown. Utilizing his wrestling, he mixed in some ground and pound that led to Hatley Jr. giving up his back. Pico was able to sink in the choke with relative ease and improve his record to 6-3. This was the only finish on the main card Friday night.
All things considered, with no regional experience, Pico is off to a good start 9 fights into his professional career. He’s settling in and gaining valuable experience. Matchmaking from Rich Chou and Scott Coker will be crucial going forward. Pico was fighting top guys way too early in his career and the step back in competition has seemingly done wonders for the former golden gloves champion.
Potential Opponents
Jay-Jay Wilson and Ty-wan Claxton were also on the main card. Both are possible matchups for Pico in his next bout. Wilson was the victor, winning by split decision and holds a record of 6-0. It is unlikely that Wilson is up next due to Bellator being reluctant on derailing of their featherweight prospects. Claxton was on the wrong side of the decision, however at 6-2 Claxton could be a viable opponent. Claxton and Pico both have similar careers. Claxton took on a top-5 contender in Emmanuel Sanchez in only his 5th professional fight. Claxton is 1-2 in his last three but is still only 27 years old.
Robert Whiteford and Saul Rogers were supposed to clash prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Whiteford is a UFC veteran and holds a 16-4 record. He’s on a 4-fight win streak and won his Bellator debut last November. Rogers is 13-3 and is coming off a loss against veteran Daniel Weichel. Both are older veterans outside of the top-10 that would be an increase in competition for Pico.
Are one of these fighters next for Aaron Pico? Or is it Chris Lencioni, the 6-2 prospect who’s on a 2-fight win streak. No matter who’s next, Aaron Pico has once again become must-see tv for any fight fan.
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