Long Beach, CA — It’s another big fight on the west coast for Aaron Pico at Bellator 286, who a few years back relocated to New Mexico to work with Jackson-Wink MMA.
“I’ve been here before, but I can’t complain,” Pico, who grew up in Southern California and expects to have the fans on his side, told Cageside Press this week.
Pico is paired up with Jeremy Kennedy this weekend. A win could very well land him in a title fight with the winner of Patricio Pitbull vs. Adam Borics, which tops the Bellator 286 card.
Despite the implications that Pico’s fight Saturday carries with it, he’s not treating it any differently.
“I don’t think this one feels any different. Every fight that I’ve had, I’ve thought it was a world championship fight. That’s my mindset going in,” Pico explained. “My training never changes. I’m never like, ‘oh well, I’m expected to beat him so I’m going to let off the gas pedal.'”
“It’s just another day for me. That’s what Greg [Jackson, coach] always tells me — go in there, do you job, get home, and get ready for the next one. My approach mentally hasn’t changed.”
There has been talk over the last few years of Aaron Pico trying his hand at boxing, perhaps against someone like Jake Paul. Paul now falls under the Showtime banner, as does Bellator MMA itself, perhaps making such a deal slightly easier to facilitate. But rather than box Paul, Pico is interested in boxing on a Jake Paul card.
“It would be awesome. I think the timeframe is a little too short, but if Jake wins [against Anderson Silva], I would love to fight on the undercard of him and Nate Diaz. I know Nate Diaz has some prospects that are always in his entourage that would probably love to box, so why not fight one of Nate Diaz’s guys? If Jake Paul and Nate Diaz fight, I’d love to fight on the undercard. Why not?”
Watch our full interview with Aaron Pico above. Pico faces Jeremy Kennedy at Bellator 286 on Saturday, October 1, 2022 in Long Beach, CA.
