Of course, with Bellator acquired by the PFL and mothballed, it was coming inside the UFC octagon rather than the Bellator cage, but what once would have been a featherweight title fight was finally arriving nonetheless.

Pico was lighter and more mobile early, flashing a punch and high kick that both fell short. A jab may have grazed Pitbull; he fired one back to the body moments later, taking a more reserved approach.

After eating a Pitbull punch or two on the way in, Pico finally shot for his first takedown, which the former Bellator champ fought off. A Pitbull leg kick clearly hurt Pico after that, while Pico nearly pounced on a slip by Patricio Freire. Another low kick from Pitbull landed, again tripping him up for a moment. The next takedown for Pico, however, was perfectly timed as he ducked down into a double-leg and landed it. Plenty of time on the clock but Pitbull found room to scramble out and get to the fence, with Pico still on him with a bodylock.

Back at range, Pico landed a combo. Pico was finding success with his hooks, and Pitbull chose to switch to southpaw, leading to a wild exchange where the pair spun around. Pico came out of that with a small cut on the nose, but was otherwise no worse for the wear.

More looping hbooks landed for Pico early in round two. The shorter Pitbull, meanwhile, hit air in response. Pick then doubled up, and landed a third punch, an uppercut, in a smart little combo. Then came a level change, with Pico landing a takedown only for Pitbull to pop straight back up to his feet. Pico landed a left hand off the break. A low kick from Pitbull landed, those being his best weapon through the first half of the fight. Pico answered with a combo. Moments later, he rocked Pitbull, who stumbled backwards. Several Pico jabs split the guard.

Pico went high with a kick that missed, then touched the outside of the leg in the final minute. Pitbull’s face was showing damage. Another Pico right hand stunned Pitbull; a takedown landed moments later, allowing Pico to land a handful of elbows.

Round one had been close, round two had been all Pico. In the third, he teed off with a combo and ripped the body hard to cap it off. Vintage Pico, shades of his early Bellator run. After looking for a takedown, Pico was tied up by Patricio Pitbull, leading to little more than a rest spot. Back at center, Pico doubled up on his jab. Another clinch, with Pitbull and Pick exchanging knees, and elbow smashing home with an elbow. A level change saw Pico turn the corner, take the back, and lock up Pitbull along the fence. The takedown would eventually come, and the clock was quickly running out for Patricio Pitbull.

#13-ranked featherweight Pitbull was bloodied up, and at the end, wanted to brawl. Pico was having none of it, tapping his head with his finger: brains over brawn. A clear win on the scorecards for Aaron Pico, who will likely be ranked following the victory.

Official Result: Aaron Pico def. Patricio Pitbull by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

The post UFC 327: Aaron Pico Looks Sharp, Notches First UFC Win Over Patricio Pitbull in Bellator Alumni Battle appeared first on Cageside Press.

Even the loss of Joshua Van vs. Tatsuro Taira, shifted to next month’s New Jersey card, didn’t hurt UFC 327 too much. With Alex Pereira having vacated his title in favor of a move to heavyweight, it was Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg headlining the show.

Prochazka was a former champ once again trying to reclaim his 205lb title; Ulberg was a City Kickboxing product on a nine-fight win streak ready for his first shot at gold. Either one was a worthy successor to “Poatan,” though Prochazka appeared to be the fan favorite in Miami this week.

The most anticipated Bellator MMA fight in years also arrived in Miami on Saturday, as part of the UFC 327 prelims. Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico had long been expected to face off in their own home, since acquired by the PFL and mothballed. With both now calling the UFC home, matchmakers took advantage and finally got the booking done.

Cub Swanson, meanwhile, kicked off the UFC 327 main card in his retirement fight. The WEC and UFC legend and Hall of Famer (for his UFC 206 scrap with Doo-Ho Choi) was calling it a career, the last active WEC star on the roster, in a fight with Nate Landwehr.

Our picks are in for UFC 327! Here’s who we see coming out ahead.

Writer / Fight	Swanson vs. Landwehr	Reyes vs. Walker	Blaydes vs. Hokit	Costa vs. Murzakanov	Prochazka vs. Ulberg
Eddie Law
Jay Anderson
Chris Prawdzik
Mathis Desjardins
Brett Cagle
Patrick Danna
Alex Behunin

It’s a landslide in the main event, with all writers responding by deadline siding with Jiri Prochazka. Despite an impressive win streak, no love for Carlos Ulberg here.

There isn’t much love for the Clown Prince of the heavyweight division either. Only one writer is siding with Josh Hokit, who has been taking on pro-wrestling style personas, with mixed results, ahead of his fight with Curtis Blaydes. “Razor” Blaydes has played it cool and has a considerable weight advantage in the fight itself.

The post UFC 327: Prochazka vs. Ulberg Main Card Staff Picks appeared first on Cageside Press.

Of course, with Bellator absorbed by the PFL and the promotion name mothballed, the fight is coming in the UFC, as part of UFC 327 in Miami. Still, better late than never.

“It’s a fight that was meant to happen in Bellator for a long time, but something would always happen whenever we thought it was going to happen. There was always an issue that would come up,” Pitbull (37-8) acknowledged during this week’s UFC 327 media day, speaking with outlets including Cageside Press. “That was the case in Japan, PFL was supposed to give us the fight too. So yeah, when I came into the UFC, that was a fight that I asked for.”

Pitbull has wanted the fight, has been calling for it ever since the pair arrived in the UFC. That didn’t change after Pico lost his own UFC debut against Lerone Murphy last summer. Pitbull has heard the talk of Pico changing his approach after that loss, and he’s ready for anything.

“I’m ready for whatever kind of Aaron Pico shows up in there. Maybe he’ll be more cautious because he got knocked out, maybe he’s going to go in there and just want to brawl. I’m prepared for whatever version.”

Pico has heard criticism of his supposed “glass jaw,” but has said Pitbull won’t be able to hit him. “I hope he trained a lot of defense, because he usually doesn’t defend sh*t,” the Brazilian said in response.

With a 1-1 record in the UFC and at 38 years old, there’s a question of where a win over the unranked Pico would put Patricio Pitbull. Once the most feared featherweight outside the UFC, he dropped an uninspiring decision to Yair Rodriguez in his debut, then turned around a won a decision over Dan Ige. Still, he feels getting his hand raised over Pico could be big.

“Aaron Pico came in and with one win over Murphy, he [would have been] pretty close to being in the mix for the title. So even though he’s not ranked, I do think this is a fight that is going to push me forward.”

Watch the full UFC 327 media day appearance by Aaron Pico above.

The post UFC 327’s Patricio Pitbull on Pico: “He Usually Doesn’t Defend Sh*t” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Per UFC President and CEO Dana White, who announced the news on Friday, Patricio Pitbull (37-8), former Bellator featherweight champion, will face Aaron Pico (13-5) as part of the Miami, Florida-based card on April 11, 2026.

The event takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, FL and will be headlined by Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg for the newly vacated UFC light heavyweight championship.

Pitbull and Pico both arrived in the UFC in 2025 after being released from their contracts by the PFL. Brazil’s Pitbull, who also held a title at lightweight under the Bellator banner, is 1-1 in the UFC to date, having lost his debut against Yair Rodriguez, then following that performance up with a victory over Dan Ige.

Both bouts went the distance, Aaron Pico’s UFC debut did not. Once one of the hottest featherweight prospects on the planet, Pico found himself knocked out by Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 last August.

In Bellator, where he spent his entire career, he posted a 10-4 record, with his final assignment coming on the PFL vs. Bellator MMA card in February of 2024, after the Professional Fighters League had purchased the rival promotion.

Pico holds notable wins over Leandro Higo, Pedro Carvalho, and Henry Corrales and boasts 11 finishes among his 13 pro victories. Prior to his MMA career, Pico was a standout wrestler who took second place in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in freestyle wrestling, and was also a National Junior Golden Gloves boxer in his youth.

It may have taken years and a change in promotion to see the fight finally come together, but Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico are at long last set to throw down.

UFC 327 on April 11, 2026 currently features the following announced bouts:

• Jiří Procházka vs. Carlos Ulberg – for the vacant UFC light heavyweight championship
• Joshua Van (c) vs. Tatsuro Taira – for the UFC flyweight championship
• Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit
• Beneil Dariush vs. Manuel Torres
• Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker
• Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa
• Mateusz Gamrot vs. Esteban Ribovics
• Patrício Pitbull vs. Aaron Pico
• Beneil Dariush vs. Manuel Torres
• Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque
• Nate Landwehr vs. Cub Swanson
• Christopher Alvidrez vs. Francisco Prado

The post Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico Finally Set to Face Off at UFC 327 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Keita (16-1) was making his much anticipated promotional debut in Paris. He misses weight for the first time in his professional career that included a run as a two-division champion at 145 and 155 pounds.

Pitbull (37-8) was justifiably upset with the miss having traveled to Paris, made weight, and on short-notice.

To say Patricio Pitbull is disappointed that Losene Keita couldn’t make weight is an understatement. #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/nfoNGyPPzQ

— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) September 5, 2025

“I did my part, but my opponent didn’t do his. I was called on short notice, traveled, dealt with jet lag and made weight. My opponent was at home, had 3 more hours to try and chose not to. I really would like to fight on the UFC Rio card. I’ll face anyone who makes weight @UFC,” Pitbull wrote on X.

He wasn’t done. In an interview for UFC social media he continued letting loose on Keita.

“I’m absolutely sure he didn’t try going to the bath tub [to cut more weight]. There’s plenty of ways. He was surrounded by kids. There was no one older to put him in place, ‘Stay there, go make weight’.

At 9am he weighed in, he was over, and instead of trying until 11am, which is the limit, he was eating baby food. F*ck you, man. If you want to blame anyone, blame my opponent. Black Panther? He’s Fat Panther.”

No word on if the UFC will try to rebook the fight, but it’s notable that Pitbull called out Arnold Allen for a fight at UFC Rio later this year.

The post Losene Keita Misses Weight, Fight With Pitbull Cancelled appeared first on Cageside Press.

Max Holloway

As Max said right after his hand was raised, this moment is not about him. So I won’t go too deep about what this win meant for his career, I’ll get right to the matchmaking.

In the UFC 317 edition of What’s Next, I had Ilia Topuria fighting Paddy Pimblett as I felt the UFC was still in need of big crossover fights. The only non-title fight I could see scratch Justin Gaethje’s fighting itch enough not to retire is a re-booking of the Dan Hooker matchup. That would leave Max with either Arman Tsarukyan or Charles Oliveira as potential dance partners. With Max just going 25 minutes with the hard-hitting Poirier, I doubt the timeline for his return matches Tsarukyan’s, who’s been on the shelf for a while now. That means I see “Blessed” returning in the first quarter of 2026 in a rematch against the former champion Oliveira.

Holloway’s next fight: Charles Oliveira

Paulo Costa

Paulo Costa didn’t have a single victory over a current UFC fighter on his record. He was in desperate need of a solid win to restore some of the name value he previously held. The Brazilian not only defeated a ranked contender under 35 who was 6-1 in his last 7 fights, he out-struck Kopylov more than two-to-one. An impressive win over a relevant contender in this division was precisely what the doctor ordered. Now, “The Eraser” can once again look up the rankings for his next opponent. I’ve always thought a fight between Costa and Jared Cannonier would be a lot of fun. It just so worked out that Cannonier is fighting Michael “Venom” Page on the very next Pay-Per-View.

Costa’s next fight: Cannonier/Page winner

Daniel Rodriguez

The 38-year-old D-Rod came into UFC 318 as a massive betting underdog against a Kevin Holland that looked rejuvenated at welterweight. After a massive second round where he knocked down “Trailblazer” twice, he then had to weather the storm in round three where he was hurt multiple times. After a three-fight skid, Rodriguez is now on a three-fight win streak and will enter the rankings once again. While I could see the UFC booking the veteran Rodriguez against the youngster Gabriel Bonfim who also just entered the rankings last week, I’d rather put D-Rod in a battle of the southpaws against the loser of the upcoming Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates bout at UFC 319.

Rodriguez’s next fight: Neal/Prates loser

Patricio Pitbull

It was years in the making, but we finally got to see Patricio Pitbull get his hand raised in the UFC. He defeated the perfect featherweight litmus test in Dan Ige at UFC 318. While his recent loss to Yair Rodriguez probably told us a lot more about Pitbull’s true ability to contend at this stage of his career, he should still be provided the opportunity to face known names in this division. Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will be facing off in Shanghai next month. While the winner will most likely be looking upwards in the rankings, there’s nothing stopping the UFC from booking Pitbull against the loser.

Pitbull’s next fight: Ortega/Sterling loser

Michael Johnson

The enigma that is Michael Johnson is the gift that keeps on giving. A 39-year-old man with wins over Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier, who not too long ago was on a bad-looking four-fight skid, just cleanly defeated a highly touted 26-year-old as a nearly 6-to-1 underdog? Yes, that sounds exactly like something Michael Johnson would do.

While I’ve been wishing for Johnson to fight King Green for years, it seems the timing never aligns for those two to fight. Green, who is fighting Diego Ferreira next month, would still be my first choice if he wins. An Edson Barboza rematch could also be fun, now that the Brazilian is coming back up to lightweight. Ultimately, I went with another young prospect who will look to bounce back after a loss. Zellhuber was meant to get back in the win column against a recognizable name, but Johnson spoiled those plans. Can Ignacio Bahamondes do what Zellhuber couldn’t and get past the savvy veteran?

Johnson’s next fight: Ignacio Bahamondes

The post What’s Next: UFC 318 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Like his promotional debut in April against Yair Rodriguez, Pitbull (37-8) looked to be having a slow start at UFC 318 on Saturday, until he erupted in the second round. Ultimately, he earned a unanimous decision win over Dan Ige to improve to 1-1 under the UFC banner.

“I’m feeling good. I’m happy. But I know I can do better,” Pitbull told media outlets including Cageside Press following his fight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. “Much respect to my opponent, he’s a very tough guy. I just want to think about the next time.”

Ige, Pitbull’s opponent on Saturday, has never been knocked out, and that didn’t change after another 15 minutes inside the octagon. “He’s like I was thinking,” said Pitbull, when asked about Ige perhaps being tougher than he’d expected. “He’s very good, but I’m better. I proved it today.”

As for the difference between Saturday night and his debut against Yair Rodriguez, “I won the fight,” the Brazilian said simply. He would go on to elaborate, however, that he still wasn’t entirely satisfied.

“I’m not very happy now. I’m not very happy. Because I know I can do better. I was with a little pressure on my shoulders. I came from defeat, I lost the April fight to Yair. He’s very good, he was a former champion but I know I’m better than these guys.”

Pitbull is still recovering from cervical spine surgery to repair herniated discs in his neck, and there’s some thought that he hasn’t returned to his old self just yet. That’s a sentiment the former Bellator star agreed with.

“When I do some shots on somebody’s head, I used to put everyone to seep. Now you saw, it’s different,” he stated. “I know Ige, he’s very tough, he was never knocked out. But I know my full power, and it’s not my full power.”

So what comes next for the 38-year old, who has a very short window in the UFC? “I just want Aaron Pico,” he said. Pico was supposed to fight Movsar Evloev next weekend in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, only for Evloev to withdraw. Now, Pico is campaigning for the bout to be rebooked at UFC 319 next month.

“It’s not necessary. He can make his debut in the UFC again me. Now I’m a veteran,” Pitbull exclaimed.

The Brazilian also addressed what makes the fighters from his hometown of Natal so tough. “The northeast of Brazil, you’re already born in hardship. It’s the poorest part of Brazil, there’s not much there. So everyone has to battle, everyone has to battle just to survive. When you get an athlete from that region, they’re just extra tough.”

As for his age, he dismissed it as a factor in his fights. “I can do things that a young guy can’t. My discipline is the difference.”

Watch the full UFC 318 post-fight press conference appearance by Patricio Pitbull above.

The post Patricio Pitbull Says He Can Do Better After UFC 318, Still Wants Pico Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pitbull had lost a lackluster decision to Yair Rodriguez in his debut at UFC 314; the match-up with Ige, however, was one that promised to produce fireworks. And Ige, for his part, was looking past Pitbull’s debut performance, still considering him a top five featherweight in the world.

Ige looked light on his feet early in the UFC 318 main card’s second contest, targeting Pitbull’s lead leg with kicks. He then went high, but that was easily blocked by the Brazilian. Pitbull landed a kick of his own, leading Ige to burst forward in response. Patricio then ducked under a Pitbull volley, locked on with a bodylock, and landed a takedown, with the pair eventually scrambling to the fence. Pitbull latched on with a front headlock, but was nowhere near a submission, leading to a stalemate with Ige eventually standing back up.

Back on the feet, Ige switched stances, and they’d finish out the frame there. In the second, Ige went after the leg kicks, while Pitbull sat back, still seemingly reluctant to pull the trigger despite likely winning the opening round. He finally got off a right hand, and later fired a weak leg kick. Ige, meanwhile, landed with a combo while Pitbull covered up. Pitbull got his jab going later in the round, and he eventually got off a good shot on Ige. Patricio finished the round with a takedown, possibly doing enough to claim another close round on the scorecards.

The third round nearly spoiled a strong start by Pitbull, as Dan Ige landed a head kick as Patricio moved in! The knee connected more than anything, but Pitbull survived, hanging on to a leg initially. After regrouping, Pitbull landed a takedown, but Ige grabbed a leg and was able to scramble free. Ige would fight off the next takedown attempt, with the Hawaiian having his best round of the right. Pitbull did find a landing spot for his right hand, the latch on with another bodylock, 90 seconds left in the fight. Ige could not shake Pitbull off for a good 30 seconds but did finally break free. And when Ige fired another head kick, Pitbull caught it and dumped him.

Headed to the scorecards, it appeared Patricio Pitbull had done enough to secure his first win under the UFC banner.

Official Result: Patricio Pitbull def. Dan Ige by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC 318: Patricio Pitbull Gets Past Dan Ige for First UFC Win appeared first on Cageside Press.

McKee is at a crucial turning point in his career heading into PFL Cape Town. Coming into this fight off just the second loss of his 24-fight career, McKee is hungry to return to title contention. Following a four-fight win streak at lightweight, McKee dropped a split decision against Paul Hughes in a title eliminator, forcing his hand to make a decision he had long seen coming: his return to 145 pounds.

AJ McKee ready to reclaim status as top featherweight

McKee made his plans clear ahead of his return to featherweight, speaking during the PFL Cape Town media day.

“Just coming back to the 145-pound division and showing everyone again who the best in the world is at this division.”

“I think now it’s honestly a bit easier going back down. When I was younger, I didn’t really diet properly. Just young and a little reckless, so you do wild things, but being a bit older now, I’d say it’s not as hard.”

McKee’s move to 155 had been criticized, as his performances seemed less impressive than when at 145. Despite this, he still fought his way into the title picture, all while knowing his return to featherweight was imminent.

“I was a fight away from the title at 155, lost a split decision, I wasn’t healthy, hadn’t been healthy. I just figured, what better time? I’m healthy and I wanna reclaim being the best in the world.”

McKee continued, “I think that everything happens the way it’s supposed to, the way that it needs. I’ve always said it, I’m really not a 155-pounder; everyone knows I’m a 145-pounder, so I was just having fun. I was eating blueberry banana pancakes and chicken parm every day. Going back to 145 pounds, I’m just meaner, hungrier, and that’s where my advantage is.”

McKee gets the chance to throw his name back into title contention at 145 pounds this weekend in South Africa, a new location with cultural meaning for McKee.

“I think it’s awesome to be here in South Africa, especially with my family coming from Africa. We’ve talked about it for many years. Being able to come here and have business and have fans here already, it’s phenomenal. It’s awesome to be embraced by the people embraced by the culture and showcase my skillset at the same time.”

Watch the full PFL Africa media day appearance by AJ McKee above.

The post AJ McKee Coming Back to “Show Who The Best in The World Is” at 145 Pounds appeared first on Cageside Press.

Pitbull (36-8) put on a lackluster showing at UFC 314 back in April, dropping a decision to Yair Rodriguez. It was, the former Bellator featherweight and lightweight champ said during Wednesday’s UFC 318 media day, the result of “ten years fighting for five rounds, 25 minutes.”

“I saw everything in the cage, I was calm and relaxed. That was my mistake,” the Brazilian featherweight added. And so in his sophomore outing in the UFC, he’ll instead fight with urgency.

“For sure. It will be a violent fight,” said Pitbull, who would later address the lone difference in his training since arriving in the world’s largest MMA promotion. “In Bellator I was used to training for five rounds. Now I have to fight for three rounds, it’s different. Fighting five rounds creates a more cadenced game plan. So three rounds is a lot quicker, a lot different.”

At UFC 318, Patricio Pibull has been paired up with a fan favorite, Hawaii’s Dan Ige. It’s a match-up that went over well with fans, and Pitbull can see the logic behind the booking.

“Yeah, it makes sense. He’s a tough guy. He’s the division’s gatekeeper, he separates the good from the great.” Pitbull, falling back on his translator, then promised to “kick down that door” — or gate as it were.

While Ige hasn’t been finished in his professional career, “I will be the first, who knocks him out or submits him,” promised Pitbull.

As for what comes next, Pitbull has a name in mind. After Ige, he’s looking at another ex-Bellator MMA star. “My focus now is to beat him [Ige], but after that, I want Aaron Pico.”

Pico was supposed to face Movsar Evloev next weekend as part of UFC Abu Dhabi, leaving Pico in limbo. “Movsar is hurt, right?” questioned Pitbull, getting an affirmative response. “We were in Bellator for a long time, but I was the champ and he couldn’t go to the belt. And now we can fight.”

Maybe not at UFC Abu Dhabi next weekend. Then again, you never know. “Next week, yeah, ready,” stated Pitbull. “Always ready.”

Watch the full UFC 318 media day appearance by Patricio Pitbull above.

The post “Always Ready” Patricio Pitbull Wants Aaron Pico After UFC 318 appeared first on Cageside Press.