Aaron Pico‘s next bout will be his much-awaited UFC debut against Lerone Murphy at UFC 319 on August 16, 2025, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The co-main event represents a career-defining moment for Pico, who joins the UFC after stints in Bellator and the PFL. For a fighter formerly regarded as one of the sport’s top prospects, this debut represents both a new beginning and a high-stakes opportunity.

Originally supposed to face top-ranked opponent Movsar Evloev last month, Pico’s debut was postponed after Evloev withdrew, pitting him against the undefeated Lerone Murphy. While Murphy is ranked lower, he is a dangerous opponent, and the fight will be a true test of Pico’s ability to live up to the expectations that have surrounded him since his early days in MMA. Pico, at 28, enters the UFC with nine wins in his past ten fights and lingering controversy about how his PFL run ended.

Why did Aaron Pico decide to leave PFL?

Aaron Pico’s exit from the Professional Fighters League was partly due to inactivity and unmet promises. After the PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023, his career stalled, as he only fought once under their banner, a first-round TKO of Henry Corrales in February 2024. Aside from that, according to him, three scheduled fights were cancelled without reason.

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For ‘Cheeks,’ the silence from the promotion and a lack of opportunities stopped his momentum and had a direct impact on his livelihood. Frustrated, the 28-year-old publicly claimed that he would rather sit out an entire year than compete under those circumstances. Complicating matters was PFL’s contractual right to match any UFC offer, which kept him bound even after fulfilling obligations.

Pico claimed PFL co-founder Donn Davis impeded his release and failed to keep promises, including a handshake commitment for a title shot that never occurred. So, for Aaron Pico, the UFC provided the competition, visibility, and career progression that the PFL no longer appeared willing or able to provide, and so, he didn’t think twice before finally making the move to the biggest MMA promotion in the world.

Back and forth between Aaron Pico and PFL founder Donn Davis

Pico and Donn Davis’ feud became public, with both sides presenting starkly opposing views. ‘Cheeks’ addressed his dissatisfaction bluntly as he stated, “I will say this — I’m not fighting for the PFL. If I have to wait out a year to be free and clear, then I’ll do it.” Emphasizing how he truly felt about the promotion, he further added that he felt as if he had been left in the dark without any real explanation. As a result, he didn’t want to fight for them any further.

Aaron Pico also recalled an episode on a trip back from Saudi Arabia following his fight in which Davis verbally agreed to a title opportunity for Pico in California, a transaction so flawless that they even snapped a photo to commemorate it. However, after starting training camp with high hopes, Pico was never formally booked for the planned title fight, and Davis cut off communication, leaving Pico feeling abandoned.

The 28-year-old said, “He said, ‘Man, what a great fight. And what’s next? What do you want?’ I said, ‘Well, I want to fight for the title.’ He said, ‘You got it.’ We shook on it. We took a picture.” However, Donn Davis defended PFL’s actions as standard business practice. “To be clear, PFL is not holding him back,” he said. “That is [the] standard MMA contract Pico signed and how [the] MMA industry works.”

He emphasized the promotion’s authority to match UFC bids and stated that maintaining the league’s legitimacy required strict adherence to contracts. Ultimately, Pico saw PFL as stalling his career, but Davis saw the conflict as a contractual necessity. The fight left both parties entrenched, but with Pico now free and set to make his UFC debut. So, will he find the success he seeks in his new promotion? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.