Aaron Pico Added to Bellator 299 in Dublin Against Pedro Carvalho

Aaron Pico, Bellator 252
Aaron Pico, Bellator 252 Credit: Bellator MMA

Two of Bellator MMA’s top featherweight talents will face off at Bellator 299 in Dublin, Ireland this September.

Announced via press release on Tuesday, Aaron Pico (11-4) will face Pedro Carvalho (13-7) at the event on September 23, 2023 at the 3Arena in Dublin.

MMA Fighting previously reported the booking.

Pico was last seen in action in April at Bellator 295, picking up a dominant unanimous decision win against short-notice replacement James Gonzalez. One of Bellator’s bumper crop of rookies in years past, Pico finds himself on a 7-1 run at the moment, with the lone loss due to a shoulder injury suffered early in his fight against Jeremy Kennedy.

Carvalho (13-7) will enter the fight off his own loss to Kennedy. The Portuguese fighter, who trains out of SBG Ireland, challenged Patricio Pitbull for Bellator’s featherweight title in 2020, but after losing that fight, has been on a rocky stretch. He’s 2-3 since.

Pico is currently ranked #3 in the 145lb division in Bellator, Carvalho at #4. The fight will feature as part of the Bellator 299 main card. Thus far, the following match-ups have been reported for the event:

  • Johnny Eblen (c) vs. Fabian Edwards — for the Bellator MMA middleweight championship
  • Aaron Pico vs. Pedro Carvalho
  • Mads Burnell vs. Daniel Weichel
  • Brian Moore vs. Otto Rodrigues
  • Sinead Kavanagh vs. Sara Collins
  • Luke Trainer vs. Laurynas Urbonavicius
  • Mark Ewen vs. Noah Gugnon
  • Kenny Mokhonoana vs. Josh O’Connor
  • Chiara Penco vs. Mackenzie Stiller
  • Nicolo Solli vs. Romain Debienne