Andrew Ravens
Daniel Cormier was impressed by what he saw from Aaron Pico at UFC 327 in Miami. After Pico bounced back from a Knockout of the Year contender in his UFC debut against Lerone Murphy last August, Cormier said the performance against Patricio Freire on Saturday was the version of Pico he had always been waiting to see — and issued a warning to the rest of the featherweight division as a result.
Pico battered the former multi-time Bellator champion for a unanimous decision in their featherweight matchup at Kaseya Center, landing 100 strikes and scoring six takedowns across 15 minutes of action against “Pitbull.” It was Pico’s first victory since February 2024 under the PFL banner and a statement performance in only his second UFC appearance. Cormier addressed the win on his YouTube channel, making clear that the display met the standard he had set in his own mind for what Pico is capable of.
“Aaron Pico looked as good as he’s ever looked in his entire life,” Cormier said. “He was fast. He was quick, as we all know he is. He used wrestling and he was patient — that was probably the most impressive thing. I will tell you this: If the Aaron Pico that showed up at UFC 327 fights that way all the time, he’s a problem for Movsar Evloev, he’s a problem for Alexander Volkanovski, Diego Lopes and everybody else.
His skill set is so complete. If he can fight right, he’s a real problem for everyone. Hat’s off to Aaron Pico and his entire team for putting together a game plan that worked and worked beautifully. I thought that tonight was the true example of what Aaron Pico can be whenever he fights to his potential.”
The patience Cormier highlighted is particularly notable for a fighter historically associated with explosive, high-risk exchanges. Against Freire, Pico demonstrated a more complete and disciplined version of himself, using his wrestling to control the fight and picking his spots on the feet rather than relying solely on his physical gifts.
