UFC 327’s Aaron Pico ‘embarrassed’ by knockout loss in Octagon debut (but still happy it happened)

They always say losses teach the biggest lessons.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight Aaron Pico returns for his second Octagon appearance this weekend (Sat., April 11, 2026) at UFC 327, where he takes on fellow Bellator standout and former champion Patricio Pitbull inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

Pico is coming off a brutal spinning elbow knockout loss to Lerone Murphy in his highly anticipated UFC debut (watch highlights) — a setback that halted his momentum in a big way.

He has been silent since his knockout loss, only posting something on Instagram after UFC 319, but during UFC 327 media day, he opened up about how it affected him.

And it hit him hard.

“Yeah, I’m not going to lie, after the last loss, I took it a little bit hard,” Pico told reporters. “I was really embarrassed and had some down days, but it’s just part of the game, especially when you put a lot of work into it… You put your life and soul into something, and to come up short on such a big stage, I took it really, really hard.”

Pico also pointed out the unseen grind behind the scenes — something he feels fans don’t always fully understand.

“I’m very thankful for the fans, don’t get me wrong, but you get the ones who criticize, and they don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes,” Pico explained. “How much we work, the hunger pains before bed because you’re cutting weight, the toll it takes on families. So yeah, it was tough.”

Still, as difficult as the loss was and the stakes attached, Pico believes it may have come at the perfect time.

“It sounds weird because in a way, I don’t like to say this, but I’m happy it happened,” Pico said. “Because I had to take a good look in the mirror and assess my game, especially fighting in the UFC. Sometimes you can get away with things with guys who aren’t skilled. You can go in there and bulldoze guys over, throw punches, and whatever, but when you’re fighting Lerone Murphy, who is No. 2 in the world or any guy in the UFC, you have to be very smart. I got overexcited, felt good, wasn’t really thinking, and I got caught.”

Since then, Pico says he’s gone back to the drawing board.

“I had to work on a few things — fight IQ, movement, footwork — just becoming a more complete fighter,” he said. “I’ve been working on a new style these last few months, and I’m excited to show it.”

Now, he gets a matchup that’s been years in the making.

Pico faces Pitbull — a fight that was previously talked about multiple times under the Bellator banner, but never came to fruition. Even during the PFL era, the bout was discussed as a potential “super fight” before falling apart again.

Now, in a full-circle moment…

They finally meet inside the UFC Octagon.

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