“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I had some really dark days. I had some days where I was like, ‘Man, can I actually do this?’ I mean, I think about it all now.” Aaron Pico reflected as he looked back on his MMA journey and the setbacks that tested him. But those days are behind him. With a 13-4-0 record, the former Bellator star has battled through every challenge to reach the biggest moment of his career—his UFC debut!

This weekend, inside the United Center in Chicago, Aaron Pico will take on the undefeated Lerone Murphy, after his initial fight against Movsar Evloev was canceled following Evloev’s withdrawal from their scheduled fight last month. In the lead-up to his UFC debut as the co-main to Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, the featherweight prospect is drawing strength from his family—their support, motivation, and inspiration fueling him for fight night. But how much do you really know about the people closest to him, especially his wife and kids?

Everything about Aaron Pico’s wife & son

The 28-year-old from California was once in a happy and long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart, Kylie Chacon. The couple shared many memorable years together and even welcomed their first child, named Valentino, in August 2021. During this time, Chacon was beside Pico as he built his career in the combat world. Unfortunately, their relationship came to an end.

Pico, today, is a single father raising his son, Valentino, with the help of his parents. Speaking about the challenges, he admitted, “We haven’t had an easy road. It’s been very tough as a family. As you know, MMA is not the easiest, and I’ve taken some hard losses. I don’t have Kylie on my team anymore. I’ve had to go through that. I’m a single dad, but thank God I have my father here and my mom to help me navigate this. And life is good.”

However, just like his fighting career, Pico doesn’t let the challenges deter him from cherishing his role as a father. In a touching moment before his UFC debut, he shared how Valentino reacted to the news. “When I told him, ‘Dad’s going to fight in the UFC,’ he said, ‘Wow, Dad, you’re finally a professional,’” Pico recollected the wholesome interaction with his son. For Pico, fatherhood remains his biggest priority.

Regardless, besides his relationship with his ex-wife, there’s a lot to talk about in his early life.

Aaron Pico’s background & early life

Aaron Pico may have reached the UFC at the age of 28, but his journey into combat sports began a long time ago. Growing up in Whittier, California, Pico would sit in the backyard with his father, spinning stories about the combat sports career he dreamed of pursuing. “I want to be in the UFC one day and a UFC champion. I want to be boxing. Like, I can do it, you know?” he recalled telling his dad, who always encouraged him to “keep working hard.”

He started achieving those dreams early in life, becoming a national Junior Golden Gloves champion at age 13. Meanwhile, in his school, St. John Bosco, ‘Cheeks’ was nothing short of a legend, winning the CIF State Championship. After he turned 19, he narrowly missed making the U.S. Olympic wrestling team, falling just two points short. Even when he was in Bellator MMA, its president, Scott Coker, called him “MMA’s next great superstar” when Pico signed a lucrative contract at just 18.

These early achievements in life led Aaron Pico to UFC. From here on, Pico is confident he will carve out a path for himself. However, before that, he will have to beat Lerone Murphy, which he will look to do with the support from his family, even though Kylie is no longer beside him. Do you think Pico can win?