Aaron Pico put the UFC on notice this past Saturday, blasting Losene Keita with a 74-second finish at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. Now, with Pico rocking a 15-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC record, none other than Henry Cejudo is already slapping the “future world champion” label on him. This wasn’t some drawn-out affair; Pico just took care of business in under a minute and a half against Keita, who now sits at 17-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC.
Cejudo Breaks Down Pico’s New Game
Cejudo, who’s seen a thing or two in the octagon, is hyped about Pico’s two-straight wins, and he’s pinpointing exactly why this guy is different now. “A patient Aaron Pico will become world champion,” Cejudo declared on Instagram. He’s saying people aren’t seeing the patience Pico has finally developed, something he always “damn needed.” Cejudo highlighted Pico’s tactical approach: he started wrestling, then moved into some nasty chain wrestling to soften up Keita against the cage. But the real game-changer, according to Cejudo, was a “crazy left hook.” Pico caught Keita as he released from the cage, and you could tell the dude was wobbly. From there, a follow-up right hand was “all she damn wrote.”
What’s Next: The Rematch Everyone Needs
Pico is on a roll with two wins in a row, both out of Morocco, as Cejudo noted. And he’s not shy about who he wants next. Pico has been calling out “several top featherweights” for apparently “sitting on their ranking.” Cejudo backed him up, saying that while Aljamain Sterling and Arnold Allen seem to be avoiding him, there’s one name at the top of Pico’s “damn hitlist”: Lerone Murphy. Cejudo is straight-up demanding that Dana White and Hunter Campbell give Pico the chance to avenge his UFC debut loss to Murphy, which came by knockout. Pico’s making noise, and Cejudo is making it louder. Is the UFC ready for this kid to run the division?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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