“I’m no doctor, but I’m going to say he has a concussion, for sure. We haven’t heard anything back that anything bad is happening. He’s getting checked for his head and face.” As Dana White stated these lines during the press conference, the concern for Aaron Pico was pretty clear on his face. The Californian had an amazing opportunity to prove himself at the UFC 319 co-main event. But fate had him join the growing list of spoiled UFC debuts. Brutally.

The 28-year-old got a little too (characteristically) aggressive while landing his shots against the cage, and that’s when Lerone Murphy’s perfectly timed spinning elbow sent him crashing flat into the octagon. From there, he was immediately transferred to the hospital. Daniel Cormier, who was at the commentary booth when Murphy knocked Pico out, shared a highlight on his YouTube channel, saying, “That was a bad knockout. His teeth were clenched together. They couldn’t get the mouthguard out.” That’s the first sign of trouble! But what’s even more concerning is that Pico himself hasn’t come out with a statement yet. Fortunately, though, his coach did. 

Aaron Pico’s coach shares heartfelt words after brutal UFC 319 knockout  

Soon after Pico was knocked out cold, a wave of criticism started to surround his performance. Notably, Azamat Murzakanov took to X and wrote, “You have to control your aggression.” As the scrutiny continues to grow around the freestyle wrestling maestro’s UFC debut, his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, Roberto Barreiro, showed faith in his ward and wished for him to come back stronger.

Barreiro wrote on his Instagram story, “Last night was not your night, but now more than ever, I’m with you @aaronpicousa. You’re a man, you’re a warrior. You will come back stronger. The plan of God is always perfect, and you’ll be a champion.” 

This knockout loss will be a hard one to take for Aaron Pico, especially after receiving such hype from the MMA world while coming in as the favorite. To be fair to Pico, he did start really well, before getting carried away. So, while Pico recovers from this humbling loss, Lerone Murphy has already set his sights on his next target: A title shot!

Lerone Murphy is seeking a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski in December  

Lerone Murphy’s flashy spinning back fist didn’t just earn him a win; it secured him a title shot. After the undefeated Brit’s win, Alexander Volkanovski took to X and announced, “See you in December. Congrats.” That has to be exciting for Murphy, knowing he could be part of the potentially last PPV event on ESPN before the UFC steps into the Paramount-CBS era.  

Murphy was full of praise for the Australian, replying to the latter’s message with ‘The Great’! caption. In the post-fight presser, Murphy revealed that he was looking forward to the title fight with ‘the GOAT.’ “December would be perfect for me. It gives me time to recharge, spend some time with the family, and work on some bits and get better and come back better. December would be great to share the octagon with Volkanovski, one of the featherweight GOATS,” Murphy said.

Well, it seems like the UFC would be more than happy to meet Murphy’s desire to fight at the December PPV against Alexander Volkanovski. However, it’s also true that Movsar Evloev, who’s also on an undefeated streak, might once again get left out of the 145 lbs title race. 

Do you think Volkanovski can defend this title against Lerone Murphy? And, can Aaron Pico make a comeback from this humbling defeat? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.