Aaron Pico’s next opponent wasn’t supposed to be public yet, but Aljamain Sterling let it slip. During his recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s JRE podcast, the former bantamweight champion casually mentioned Pico’s opponent’s name.

“They floated names,” Sterling said. “Pico’s now booked with Zalal. There’s Vallejos, but that fight doesn’t make sense for me… I’ve never said no. Maybe that’s a problem.”

Sterling’s comment came while discussing his own featherweight future. Just two weeks after Pico’s win over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327, Sterling had defeated Zalal at Vegas Fight Night. In that context, he blurted out Zalal’s name, unintentionally revealing Pico’s matchup.

Rogan noted Sterling’s standing as a former champion and suggested he could make another title run at featherweight.

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Sterling himself pointed to Justin Gaethje as an example of late‑career success. Gaethje, at 37, won the lightweight title. Sterling, also 37, is competing at featherweight after moving down from bantamweight.

With Pico booked with Zalal, a fight against tenth-ranked Vallejos made little sense to Sterling, who made his intentions clear right after the Fight Night that took place on April 25.

Stressing that Movsar deserves a shot at the title more than anyone else, Sterling, however, remained open to any opportunity that came his way.

“I do think Movsar deserves it, but if they offered me the opportunity, I’m not going to say no. I’m not going to say this guy deserves it. If they offer it to me, then hell yeah, I’m f**king taking it, and I’m going to give it everything I got till the wheels fall off,” he stated at the post-fight press conference.

Aaron Pico Is Hunting for His Next Big Opportunity

For Pico, the leak comes amid his hunt for a breakthrough opportunity. In April, he told MMA Junkie he hoped for a July or August return, ideally a rematch with Lerone Murphy.

Coming off a three-fight winning streak in the now-defunct Professional Fighters League (PFL), the California native joined the UFC with high expectations.

But that hype bubble was soon popped when Murphy knocked him out with a spinning back elbow in the opening round.

Since then, Pico has stayed active, even competing in Real American Freestyle wrestling, where he beat Lance Palmer at RAF 10 in June. A fight with Zalal, who sits higher in the featherweight rankings, could be the step he needs to climb the ladder.

Confirming that he had not been notified by the promotion and that no fighter had particularly called him out, Pico kept his options open, saying, “I mean, anything to get me closer to the title and get the experience, I’m all for it.”

The division is crowded. Jean Silva is booked against Yair Rodriguez at Noche UFC, while Diego Lopes is planning a move to lightweight. With Sterling eyeing a title shot and Pico now linked to Zalal, the roster is tightening.

A win over Zalal would keep Pico relevant and moving upward, while Sterling’s slip has already set the stage for fans to anticipate the matchup.