Aaron Pico: ‘I want to fight Pitbull for the title’

Aaron Pico fights Pedro Carvalho in a featherweight bout on Saturday at Bellator 299

Aaron Pico returns to the Bellator cage tomorrow, matching up against Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 299.

If Pico exits with the win, he believes his next bout should be a title shot against featherweight champion Patrício “Pitbull” Freire. That would lead to a minor controversy, as Jeremy Kennedy–who defeated Pico last October by TKO after he injured his left shoulder and the referee stopped the bout, as well as beat Carvalho in February–should be next for Freire.

“I’m focused on Pedro, but after this, I want to fight Pitbull for the title–then defend it against Jeremy Kennedy,” said Pico. “I don’t think Jeremy Kennedy would like that because he believes he’s next in line, but I’ll be honest, fans don’t want to see Jeremy Kennedy fight. He’s very, very boring. I’m not saying anything that’s not true–I’m sure he would tell you he’s boring. Watch his past fights. He’s just not a fan-friendly fighter.”

Courtesy Bellator

After undergoing shoulder surgery following his loss to Kennedy, Pico defeated James Gonzalez in April. He is eager for a rematch against Kennedy, as there bout only lasted a round after Pico dislocated his left shoulder throwing a combination.

“We’ll see if Jeremy Kennedy can take me down when I’m healthy,” said Pico (11-4). “I’m focused on Pedro, but I still want another shot at him.

“I’m healthy. You could see that in my last fight. I was throwing with my left hand with full power and strength. I’m kind of jealous that I didn’t get surgery on my right shoulder, too.”

This one has the potential to blow the roof off the @3ArenaDublin! 💥

Are you backing @AaronPicoUSA or @the_game_mma?

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Pico has won seven of his last eight, with the loss to Kennedy standing as the lone blemish. On paper, if he gets a bout with Freire, it is great timing–the reigning champ just dropped his past two bouts. Though neither was for the featherweight title, Freire lost in June to Sergio Pettis in a bantamweight title bout and then suffered another defeat in July in a catchweight bout against Chihiro Suzuki that he took on short notice.

“I have a lot of respect for Pitbull,” said Pico. “Give credit where credit’s due–he’s the most accomplished fighter we’ve ever seen in Bellator. I know he’s on a two-fight skid right now, but that’s MMA.

“It’s not like baseball or basketball with another game. If we lose, we have to wait months. I don’t think he’s past his prime. He just went down to 135 and had a little bit of a hiccup, then took a fight on a week’s notice, and sh-- happens in this game. He’s still one of the best fighters on the planet.”

The future is bright for Pico. But in order to fulfill his title aspirations, it is a necessity that he defeats Carvalho (13-7) at Bellator 299.

“There’s always fireworks when I fight,” said Pico. “Make sure you tune in.”