Why Aaron Pico wants a tough vet for his MMA debut

In 2014 Aaron Pico was a sophomore in high school, and so remarkable a wrestler that he signed with Bellator MMA. A veteran of dozens of amateur MMA matches and amateur boxing bouts, and a lifetime of wrestling, Pico makes his professional MMA debut vs. Zach Freeman at Bellator 180.

Freeman in 8-2 and coming off a title shot decision loss to Thiago Moises in the main event of RFA 44. The sport is going to know immediately if Pico is a Karam Gaber or a Brock Lesnar or something in between. Gaber was an Olympic gold medalist in Greco, who got KOed by Kazuyuki Fujita in 67 seconds the first and only time he tried MMA. Lesnar made his MMA debut in 2007; the next year and three fights later he was the UFC champion.

Pico appeared recently on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour and explained why he wanted to fight a tough veteran in his debut.

I wanted this competition, said Pico, as transcribed by Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting. I train every day to be the best in the world. I told everybody around me, ‘I don’t want to go out there and fight a guy 1-2, 1-0.’ I want to go challenge myself. I know what my abilities are.

I always knew MMA was in mind. I know I have had a professional fight yet, but I’ve been groomed and ready to fight. I don’t feel comfortable fighting a guy that’s 1-2.

I feel that’s where I belong. I’ve been competing on the biggest stages all my life. This is how I envisioned it — being in Madison Square Garden on a pay-per-view card. I know what I have to do and I’m gonna go get it done June 24.

I know he can’t take me down. I know he can’t stand on his feet with me. I know he can’t grapple with me. So, I feel good.

Now it’s here. Now I’m gonna go get it.

While Pico has never fought before, his training is impressive, learning MMA from AKA’s Bob Cook, boxing at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card, and grappling with Eddie Bravo at 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. We’ll find out of it’s enough on June 24, 2017 at Madison Square Garden, in New York City.