Daniel Cormier was impressed by what he saw of Aaron Pico at UFC 327 in Miami. Following Pico's turnaround from Knockout of the Year contender in his UFC debut against Leron Murphy last August, Cormier said Saturday's performance against Patricio Freire was the version of Pico he was always waiting to see – and issued a warning to the rest of the featherweight division as a result.
Pico defeated the former multi-time Bellator champion by unanimous decision in their featherweight matchup at the Kasia Center, landing 100 strikes and scoring six takedowns in 15 minutes of action against "Pitbull". It was Pico's first win under the PFL banner since February 2024 and a stellar performance in only his second UFC appearance. Cormier addressed the win on his YouTube channel, clarifying that the performance met the standard he had set in his mind for Pico.
“Aaron Pico looked as good as he ever did in his entire life,” Cormier said. "He was fast. He was fast, as we all know he is. He wrestled and he was patient – that was probably the most impressive thing. I'll tell you this: If Aaron Pico, who appeared at UFC 327, fights like this all the time, he's a problem for Movser Evloev, he's a problem for Alexander Volkanovski, Diego Lopes and everybody else.
His skill set is very complete. If he can fight correctly, he is a real problem for everyone. Hats off to Aaron Pico and his entire team for coming up with a game plan that worked, and worked beautifully. I thought tonight was a true example of what Aaron Pico can become whenever he fights to his potential.
The patience that Cormier highlighted is especially notable for a fighter historically associated with explosive, high-risk exchanges. Against Freire, Pico displayed a more complete and disciplined version of himself, using his wrestling to control the fight and choosing his spots on the feet rather than relying solely on his physical gifts.
