Aaron Pico remaining patient despite Bellator 277 title change: 'My time will come'

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Aaron Pico is not looking to expedite a shot at the Bellator featherweight championship now that his friend and former training partner A.J. McKee no longer holds the strap.

Pico (10-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) and McKee (18-1 MMA, 18-1 BMMA) have repeatedly stated over the years that they have no interest in fighting each other and would do whatever it takes to avoid that matchup. The situation was beginning to get dicey, though, when McKee made an undefeated run to the belt while Pico put together a destructive winning streak.

The landscape of the weight class change drastically on Friday, however, when Patricio Freire took the belt from McKee by unanimous decision in the Bellator 277 main event. It was the very same card where Pico delivered a thrilling third-round TKO over Adli Edwards, so naturally there are questions about whether Pico should purse the belt.

“We have to see where we go,” Pico told MMA Junkie and other reporters at the Bellator 277 post-fight news conference. “I have to talk to my manager Ali (Abdelaziz) and go from there. There’s nothing I can really say. I just fought Edwards. Now it’s one and one between ‘Pitbull’ and A.J., so I assume they’re going to have a rematch. I’ll just stay focused, keep going and my time will come to be world champion. It really will. When that time comes, I’ll do it.”

No matter how the cards fall, Pico said he’s going to keep his head down, work hard and stay determined on improving every facet of his game. He got another strong highlight for his reel at Bellator 277, and although Edwards was a short-notice replacement opponent, Pico said he’s pleased he took care of business.

“He’s super, super tough,” Pico said. “I was hitting him with some hard shots. I’m just very, very thankful that he took the fight. To fight me on less than a weeks’ notice, the man has balls. I hope Bellator signs him for a couple of fights and I think he’s going to do some damage in the division.”